El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-09-18
The HeraId's Daily
Short Story
The Land Of Wild Secrets

Neither cared to risk first move
Neither would I've way. 1t was an
awkward situation, and made worse by
the fact that the old paru- colored
bear, who had been reused by the hunt
and had taken a circuit, could be heard
approaching, grumbling as usual. It
was an awkward situation, as 1 said,
made the more so because neither beast
dare take its eyes off its foe to view
the bear
They heard the bear come to the en-
trance, and saw the light go out as he
filled it up. They heard him stop
short with a quick 'WOugh! Wough."
And there was silence
The ounce broke it first. Cats hate
to face strained situation. Like light
ming she spun around, was at the bear,
had struck him an awful slash on the
cheek with her terrible barred claws,
and was gone, before anything could
do more than start, into the depths of
the cave.
The bear charged instantly after
her, and as he did so, something sprang
out behind him. He turned again, and
found himself just in tome to see the
bushy tail of the old wild dog vanish
ing down the slope, and, blind with
rage and squirting blood, he rushed
headlong in a perfect cloud of stones
mind could not distinguish between
one foe and another. He could see
the wild dog, but could not see the
ounce; so, according to his nature, he
took after the visible foe.
You think bears cannot run fast?
Well, that's so in comparison TO some
other beasts. But on rough ground
they would catch You quicker than you
could draw two breaths. This bear
seemed pretty wei gifted that way.
and he had the wild dog where his
matchless speed was at a discount
among mass of thickets, painless and
gloomy.
The bear battered his rolling way
clean through this bHndly, whereas
the lighter wild dog had to discover a
way to slip in and out as best he
could. And at every stride both beasts
were drenched with sleet from the
bOughs.
At length the wild dog discovered a
narrow path along the face of noun
tain slope. and speedily began to leave
the bear behind. Below, crowded Wi1h
bushes, the slope fell away steeply as
the roof of a house. Above was a sheer
wall.
Along this path. therefore. raced
both beasts as hard as they could go,
when suddenly. on round a bend, the
wild dog stopped dead for no apparent
reason at all. The bear came on. as
fast as ne could. OF course, grumbling,
and maddcned beyond thought for any
thing save murder
For a moment the wild dog wheeled
round and faced the bear, snarling.
Then, when the great parti-colored foe
was almost upon him, he leaped for
ward round the bend
The furious bear just had time to
hear a strange sound, half whistle half
scream, and the next instant he turned
the corner. to find himself face TO face
with 20 charging beasts. They were
strange beasts. about the size of a don
key, with heavy shoulders and heads
and horns like buffalo. and covered
with shaggy black and deep brown
hair, out of which their little angry
eyes peered red. They were takin-
mountain animals which charge any
thing alive on sight. And the bear.
having no time to stop, and no room
to turn aside, met them full tilt. The
wild dog just in front of him had
galloped straight at the leading takin
the were forced to charge in single
file-and had cleared him-had, in fact
sprung clean over him in a single mag
nificent bound.
so closely were they packed behind
the old bull. their leader, that there
was little room to fall between. and
the wild dog. scrambling. leapinG.
clutching. biting, snarling. sliding.
tripping made his way somehow along
on the backs of the whole herd. much
as you may see a sheep dog do with
sheep in a narrow lane Not only that.
but he managed to leap safely again
on the path on the far side.
He did not vat to see what hap
pened to the bear. our wild dog. not
he. He bolted as hard as he could go.
But to Judge by the uproar and the
crasLings and roarinEs and general
turmoil dwindling down the slope be-
low. the bear and takin had met. not
gently. and rolled. fighting still. 1900
feet TO their death below-unless the
bushes stopped them.
That night the old wild dog tracked
and rejOined his pack, much to the dis
gust Of tire next strongest dog. who
really thought his chance of usurping
power had come at last.