Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-04-06


low brook which sang softly over its peb-
bles. But lshmael was not thirsty. He
paid no heed TO the water, but went sniff
fling along among the herbage, till pres
emily he found what he was looking for.
Straightway he fell TO rolling himself over
and over in il and biting at it in a sort OF
ecstasy. What he had found WaS bed
OF catnip, for which potent herb he had
all the semi -delirious passion OF the cats
themselves.
Having satisfied himself with this lux
ury, Ishmael kept on up the stream, his
nose held high as usual; but with the
keenneSs Of his scent somewhat blunted
for the moment by the pungency OF the
catnip. 1t was because Of this, nerhapS,
that on Whisking round huge, half rot
ten stump he ran plump into big black
bear, which was grubbing for beetles in
the rich mold. The bear made furious
pass at him with her gigantic paw; and
Ishmael flashed aside just in time TO eS-
cape being smashed. Startled and en-
ragged, he darted round the stump, and,
reappearing sudden lY on the other side,
snarled venomously and made as il to
spring at the great beasts throat. He
was not insane enough for that, however,
and when the bear lunged forward at him
witha grunt of hate he slipped away like
a snake into the underground.
Some five minutes later, while creeping
swiftly under the branches OF dense fir
thicket, he ran full upon something warm
and alive, lying huddled up on the ground.
His nose had not warned him-perhapS
because the helpless young Ct the wild
creatures seem at times to have pro-
tective lack OF scent; and his eyes had
not warned him. because the motionleSS
little form, both in color and in outline,
seemed to melt into IFS Surroundings.
Nevertheless, IShmel was not taken by
surprise. HIS practiSed jaws went in
Stantly and unerringly to this new quar-
rvs throat. There was one sharp bleat
of agony and terror, pathetically brief
and feeble beating of awkward limbs.
Carefully as It's anxious mother had hid
den it, the baby fawn had met the doom
of the wild.
Ishmael liked young venSlon even bet
ter than porcupine; so, though he was
not hungry, he drank the warm blood
greedily, and even managed TO partake
of a little solid dessert. While thus
pleasantly occupied, however, he kept a
sharp lookout for the return OF the doe,
whose knfe-edged noofs and mother rage
would, as he knew, make her dangerous
even for him. Suddenly there sounded
a brusk SwiShing and crashing Of branch
es. But it was not the doe, this whirl-
wind that came bursting into the thicket.
1t was the great black bear. She had
followed him up; and now she was come
to rob HIM of his kill.
For a second or two lShmael went all
but blind with fury. He crouched flat
upon his prey, facing the intruder with
so malignant rage that it almost seemed
to erase the disparity in their statures.
The bear, however, cared nothing for his
rage. She numbered forward and struck
swiftly at this small brown beast that
looked so presumptuous as to defy her.
The blow fell, OF course, on nothing.
IShmael had vanished like shadow. An
instant later the bear felt piercing pang
in the great muscles just above her he'll.
She wheeled and struck again like light
nlng. But lShmaeI was already gone.
He crouched, Snarling softly, some dozen
feet away, challenging her to pursue.
But the BEAR for all her rage, was not
to be lured The wound she had receiv-
ed was painful enough indeed but it was
not grave. Her opponents jaws were
not wide enough to inflict serious damage
on her great furry limb. She knew that
in nmblenesS she was no match for this
vicious little adversary. And she was
hungry. She had two bright eyed,
whimsical cubs in her den beneath the
rocky lip OF the ridge and their appetites
made demand upon her breast that a
diet OF wood grucS and wild tubers hard
ly enabled her to meet. The flesh OF the
fawn was a godsend TO her. SO with IN
dignant grumblng she fell to the repaSt,
but keeping the while weary eye on the
foe
Now, Ishmael, as it chanced, knew all
about that den on the ridge and its pre-
cious occupants. He had surveyed il
from safe distance, gnashing his teeth
with malice, but not quite liking to risk
the adventure ofinvading it. Now, how
ever, his rage blotted out his meager en-
dowment Of caution. Yet his cunning,
even so, did moi desert him. He made a
final threatening rush at his great adver-
sary. 10 make sure OF attracting her un-
divided attention. And then, as if daunt-
ed at last oY the fury of her counter at
tack, he darted away-not too swiftly
in direction exactly opposite to that
which would lead him TO the den. He
kept to the moonlit patches Of open, and
the old bears eyes followed him keenly
till he was lost in the confusion Of the
shadows
Satisfied at last that he was well beyond
eyeshot, he wheeled in his tracks, made
a short detour, and sped straight for the
crest OF the ridge.
The old bear had her den in little
cavern with narrow entrance, just
where the tilted strata OF slate which
formed the extremity of Blue Ridge broke
of sharply to overhang a deep ravine.
Up from the rayine, on the windless air,