The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-09-20
CHAPTER v.

VIA @-a
The Bear, the Man and the Flood.
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
ter was soon lost in the vigorous mo-
lions in which she INDUCED, but no
more human form, however hardy and
Injured, could long endure that frigid
bath. Reluctantly, yet with the knowl.
edge that she must so, after one mora
sweeping dive and few magnificent
strokes, she raised her head from the
water tapping her white shoulders and
shaking her face clear from tho drops
OF crystal, faced the shc,H Il was no
longer untenanted, she was no longer
alone.
What she saw startled ard alarmed
her beyond measure. Plan, 4 on her
clothes, looking Straight al her. haY-
ing come upon her in absolute 81
lence, nothing having givcl her the
least warning Of his @plTo&ch, and
now gazing at hcr with red, hungry,
evil, vicious eyes, the eye, nf ne
coyetous filled With the cruel mst Of
desire and carmel possession, ard vet
with CLINT Of surprise IL taem, too,
as II he did not knew qlltu Wh"l to
make of tho Whia l0yciuss ct his
unwonted anparition Il ,irg 50 sud
denly at him out Ct the water, this
strange invader OF the domain OF
which he was sole master and lord
paramount, stood a great. monstrous,
trightful looking grizzly bear. Ursus
Horribils, indeed.
He was an aged monarch of the
mountains, reddish brown in color
orr inally but now a hoary dirty
gra. His body was massive and
burl.. his legs short, dark coored 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
Whitley inviting as the girl in the
pool.
The girl forgot the chill of the water
in the horror of chat moment, Alone,
naked, defensJ less, lost in the noun
tains, With tie most powerful, san
culinary AID frTocious beast Of the
continent In front OF her, she could
neither fight nor fly; she cGa!d only
wait his !aaa,,re lie snuNed al her
clothing 4 moment and stood With
one fore foo, advanced for second
or two growing deeply, evidently, she
thought with almost superhuman
kecnness OF perception. preparing to
leap into the pool and seize upon her
The rush of the current as it swirled
about her caused her to sway gently,
Oluel NISc sue Sloou lioliollleSS anu
apprehensive, awfully eXpcctant She
had made no soand 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. 1t annoyed
him. 1t bespoke a little of the dom.
nance 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. Tho
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-
scieusness 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 deferred by 1t.
turned its great head sideways a 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 1t 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-
Duration known to man.
For Gods sake. helpl"
How dare POOR humanity so plead,
the doubt eric ,Naa.,lA Ito Cod