Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-12
CHAPTER NI-tContlnued)


NOR a long time after its first fierce out.
l. break the rain continued to fall in a
gentle shower. MuSkwa liked this, and under
the shcltering rock, snuEEled against Thor,
he felt very comfortable and easily fell
asleep.
Through long hours Thor kept his vigil
alone, browsing now and then, but kept
from sound slumber by the rcstlessness that
was in him
It stopped raining soon after midnight,
but It was very dark, the stream was flood
ing over it's bars, and Thor remained under
the rock. Muskwa had splendid sleep.
Day had come when Thor's stirring
reused Muskwa. lie followed the grizzly
out into the open, feeling tremendously bet
ter than last night, though his feet were
still sore and his body was stifr
Thor began to follow the creek again.
Along this stream there were low flats and
many small bayous where grew luNurantly
the tender grass and roots, and especially
the slim long-stemmcd lilies on which Thor
was fond Of feeding But for thousand
pound grizzly TO fill up on such vegetarian
daintes as these consumed many hours, II
not ones whole time, and Thor considered
that he had no time to lose. Thor was
most ardent lover when he loved al ALL
which was only n few days out or the year I;
and during these days he twisted his mode
of living around 80 that while the spirit
possessed him he no longer existed for the
solo purpose of eating and growing fat. For
n short time he put aside his habit OF living
to eat, and ate to live and poor Muskwa
was almost famshed before another dinner
was forthcoming.
But at last, early In the afternoon. Thor
came to a pool which ho could not pass
II was not n dozen feet in width, and II
was alive with trout. Tho fish had not
been able TO reach the lake above, and they
had waited too long after the hOod-season
TO descend into the deeper waters OF the
Babine and the Skeena. They had taken
refuge in this pool, which was now about
to become n death-trap
At one end the water was two feet deep
at the other end only n few inches. After
Wondering over this fact for a few moments,
the grizzly waded openly into tho deepest
part. and from the bank above Muskwa saw
the shimmering trout darting into the shall
lower water Thor advanced slowly, and
now. when he stood in less than eight
inches Of water, the panic-stricken fish one
after another tried TO escape back into the
deeper part Of tho pool.
Again and again Thor's big right paw
swept UP great showers Of water The
first Inundation knocked Muskwa on his
feet. But with II came two-pound trout
which the cub quickly dragged out Of range
and began eating
So agItatcd became the pool because Of
the mighty strokes Of Thors paw that the
trout completely lost their heads, and no
sooner did they reach one end than they
turned about and darted for the other
They kept this up until the grizzly had
thrown fully a dozen Of their number
ashore.
So absorbed was Muslwa in his fish, and
Thor in his fishing that neither had noticed
a visitor Both saw him at about the
same time, and for fully thirty seconds
thew stood and stared, Thor in his pool and
the cub over his fish, utter amazement
robbing them Of the power Of movement
The visitor was another grizzly and as
cooIIy as though he had done the fishing
himself he began eating the fish which Thor
had thrown out! a worse insult or n
deadlier challenge could not have been
known in the land of Beardom. Even
Nus<wa sensed that fact. He looked ex-
pectantIy at Thor. There was going TO be
another fight, and he licked his little chops
in anticipation.
Thor came up out Of the pool slowly. On
the bank he paused. The grizzlies gazed
at each other, the newcomer crunching n
Ash as he looked Neither growled, MuskwR
perceived no signs Of enmity, and then to
his increased astonishment Thor began eat
ing a fish within three feet Of the inter-
loper!
Perhaps man is the finest Of all Gods
creations but when II comes TO his respect
for old age he is no better, and sometimes
not as good as a grizzly bear; for Thor
would not rob an old bear, he would not
fight an old bear and he would not drive
an old bear from his own meat-which is
more than can be said OF some humans.
And the visitor was an old bear, and a
sick bear as well. He stood almost as
high as Thor, but he was so old that he
was only half as broad across the chest,
and his neck and head were grotesquely
thin. The Indians have a name for him.
Kuyas wapusk they call him-the bear so
old he is about to die, They let him go
other bears tolerate him and let
him eat their meat II he chances along
the white man kills him.
This old bear was famished, His claws
we're gone his hair was thin. and In some
places his skin was naked. and he had barely
more than red. hard gums TO chew with
II he lived until autumn he would den up
FOR the last time. Perhaps death would
come even sooner than that.
n SO, Kuyas Wapusk would know in time,
and he would crawl off into some hidden
cave or deep crevice in the rocks to breathe
his last For in all the Rocky Mountains.