Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-06-20

NFhuSut into camp
You are very good to me" she said.
land you hunt well You work You
are a man, John CowieS | love YOU"
But hearing words 81 sweet AS these
to me, Still | did not tell her what
secret was in my soul. Each day that
other world seemed wagner aud farther
away.
Each day, too, 1t seemed less worth
while to speak. Now | could not en-
dure the thought Of losing her
One day we wandered i'll dense
berry lhicket. out of which rose here
aud there chokcchcrry trees, and we
began to gather some of these sour
fruits for use in the pemmicau which
We planned TO manufacture,
All az once our dog began 10 growi
and erect his hair, shifting not NJ the
foot scent, but looking directly into the
thicket just ahead, He began then to
bark. and as he did SO there rose, with
Sullcu sort OF grunt and Il champ5ag
of jaws like great hog, \ vast yellow
gray object. whose head topped the
bushes that grew dcnSely all about
The girl ut my side uttered n cry Of
terror and turned to run as best she
might, but she fell aud lay there cow
ering
The grizzly stood looking At me vim
dictiNeiy with little eyes. its ears back,
its jaws working, its paws swinging
loosely at its side. the claws white nj
the lower end, as though newly shar
pened for Slaughterin& saw then
that it was angered 10y the sight of the
dog and would not leave us. Each mo
ment expected to hear il crash
through the bush in its charge once
down in the brush, there would he
small chance OF delivering n fatal shot,
whereas now. ms it swung its broad
head slightly to one side. the best pos
Sihle opportunity for killing it present
ed itself immediately Without heSita'
ton | swung up the heavy barrel and
drew the small silver bead directly ON
the base of the ear where the side
bones of II bears head, are tlatter and
thinner, directly alongside the brain,
The vicious crack of the rifle sounded
! lOuu lItIt III Tue lhlGhtt, bul NhNiC
came no answer in response to 1t save
crashing and slipping and breaking
down of the bushes as the vast carcass
fell ut full length The little ball had
done its work and found the brain.
! We were two savages, successful now
/ In the chaSe-succeSsful. indeed. In win
ming the capital prize of all savages, for
/ few Indians will attack the grizzly Ii
/ II can be avoided She laid her hand
wondcringly upon the barrel OF the
/ rifle, looking Mt II curiously, that II
had been so deadly as to shay n crea-
ture so vast as this Then she leaned
/ contentedly against my side, and SO we
| sat there for time. John Cowles,
she said. you are very much man.
i am not afraid when you are with
me-" | put my arm about her. The
world seemed wild and fair and sweet
to me. Life, savage, stern, swept
through all my veins. We We're very
busily engaged in cutting up the
slaughtered grizzly, when all at once
we stopped and looked ut each other
in silence We had heard sound. To
me II sounded like II rifle shot We
listened.
1t came again, with many others
There was volley of several shots,
sounds certain beyond any manner of
question, Her eyes were large and
startled. | caught her bloody hand In
my bloody one, and for an instant /
/ believed we both medltated flight deep
er into the wilderness.
ut may not be any one we know"
| said ut may be Indians
No" said She ut Is my father,
I They have found us. We must gol
john she turned toward me and put
her hands on my breast-"John" |
saw terror and regret and resolve look
out Of her eyes, but not JOY at this
deliverance. No, 1t was not JOY that
shone In her eyes. None the less the
ancient yoke of society being offered,
we bowed our necks again. fools and
slaves. surrendering freedom, JOY, con
tent, az though that were our duty.
Silently we made our way toward the
edge OF the thicket where 1t fnced
upon the open valley.
Almost as we paused | saw coming
forward the stopping figure Of an In
dian trailer. half naked. belcgginged
moccasined. following our fresh tracks
ut Il trOt
| carefully covered him with the little
silver bead. minded to end his quest.
But before could estimate his errand
or prepare to receive him closely In
case he proved an enemy, ! saw APP
preaching around n little point Of tim
Der other men, white men. IA half do2-
en- OF them. one n tall man in dusty
garments. with boots and hat and
gloves
And then | saw her. my promised
wife, leave my side and limp and stag
ger forward her arms outstretchcd. |
saw the yoke Of submission. the cove
nant Of society, once more accepted.
Father" she cried.
They gathered about us | saw him
look down at her with half horror on