The Mena weekly star., 1912-04-11
Copyright. 1911. by W. O. chapman.)
 Continued from last issue)
CHAPTER V.

AIhe Bear, tnc man ana tno Ffooo.
 The water was deep enough to re- ceive her dive and the pool was long enough to enable her to swim a few strokes. The first chill of the icy wa fer was soon lost in the vigorous mo- Hons in which she indulged, but no more human form, however hardy and < inured, could long endure that frigid bath. Reluctantly, yet with the knowl- edge that she must go, after one mora sweeping dive and a few magnificent strokes, she raised her head from the water tapping her white shoulders and shaking her face clear from the drops of crystal, faced the shore. It was no longer untenanted, she was no longer alone.
 What she saw startled and alarmed her beyond measure. Planted on her clothes, looking straight g: her. hay ing come upon her iE absolute si- lence, nothing having given her the least warning of his approach, and now gazing at her with red. hungry, covetous filled with the cruel lust of desire and carnal possession, and yet with a glint of surprise in them, too, as if he did not know quite what to make of the white loveliness of this unwonted appariuon flashing so sud denly at him out of the water, this strange invader of the domain of paramount. stood great. monsrous. frightful looking grizzly bear. Ursus Horribilis, indeed.
 He was an aged monarch of the mountains, reddish brown in color originally, but now a hoary dirty gray. His body was massive and \ burly. his legs short. dark colored and immensely powerful His broad square head moved restlessly. His fanged mouth opened and low hoarse growl came from the red cavern of his throat. He was an old and terrible monster who had tasted the blood of man and who would not hesitate to attack without provocation, especially anything at once so harmless and so pool
 The girl forgot the chill of the water in the horror of that moment Alone, naked, defenseless, lost in the noun tains, with the most powerful, san guinayy and ferocious beast of the continent in front of her, she could neither fight nor fly: she could only wait his pleasure. He snuffed at her clothing a moment and stood with one fore foot advanced for a second or two growing deeply, evidently, she thought with almost superhuman keenness of perception, preparing to leap into the pool and seize upon her.
 The rush of the current as 1t swirled about her caused her to sway gently, otherwise she stood motionless and apprehensive, awfully expectant. She had made no sound, and save for that low growl the great beast had been equally silent There was an awful fixity in the gaze she turned upon him and he wavered under it. It annoyed him. It bespoke little of the dom- inance of the human. But she was too surprised, too unnerved, too des- perately frightened to put forth the full power of mind over matter. There was piteous appeal in her gaze. The bear realized this and mastered her sufficiently.
 She did not know whether she was in the water or in the air; there were but two points upon which her con sciousness was focused in the vast ellipse of her imagination. Another moment or two and all coherency of thought would be gone. The grizzly still unsettled and uneasy before her awful glance, but not deterred by 1t, turned it's great head sideways lit- tie to escape the direct immobile stare brought his sharp clawed foot down heavily and lurched forward.
 Scarcely had a minute elapsed in which all this happened. That huge threatening heave of the great body toward her relieved the tension. She found voice at last Although it was absolutely futile, she realized as she cried. her released lips framed the loud appeal
 Help! for Gods sake"
 Although she knew she cried but to the bleak walls of the canon. the dropping pines, the rushing river. the distant heaven. the appeal went forth accompanied by the mightiest con juration known to man.
 For Gods sake. help!"
 How dare poor humanity so plead. the doubter cries. What is it to God If one suffers. another bleeds, another dies? What answer could come out Of that silent sky? Sometimes the Lord speaks with the loud voice of mems fashioning, instead of in that still whisper which is his own. and the sound of which We fail to catch De- cause of our own ignoble babble.
 The answer to her prayer came with a roar in her nervocs frightened ear like clap of thunder. sre sns first echo of fl died away. it was sue ceeded by another and another and another, echoing. rolling. reverberat- ing among the rocks in ever diminish iag but long drawn out Deals.
 On the instant the bear rose 70 his feet. swayed slightly and struck as at an imaginary enemy with his weighty paws 4 hoarse. frightfui guttering roar burst from his red riaserine Jaws, then be lurehee aide ways 2nd fcii forward. fighting the air mnely Tor moment. nae iay afiii
 Mifh staring eyes that miaae1 nc 1esnii. Hhe s4v that the hruts hsf heen hhuf in fte head ene shoulder