The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-04-30
Chapter Nv

For two or three days Baree'S eX-
curSions after food took him farther
away from the pond. But each after
noon he returned to it-until the third
day, when he discovered new creek
and Wakayoo. The creek was fully
two miles back in the forest. 1t sang
merrily over Il gravelly bed and be-
tween chasm walls of split rock. 1t
formed deep pools and foaning eddies.
and where Baree first struck it. the
air trembled with the distant thunder
of a waterfall. 1t was much pleasanter
than the dark and silent beaver
stream. 1t seemed possessed of life.
and the rush and tumult of 1.-THE
song and thunder of the water-gave
to BARGE entirely new sensations. He
made his way along 1t slowly and cau-
tiously, and 1t was because of this
slowness and caution that he came
suddenly and unobserved upon Waka-
WOO the big black bear, hard at work
fishing.
Wakayoo stood knee-deep in pool
that had formed behind u sand bar,
and he was having tremendously good
luck Even as Baree shrunk back, his
eyes popping at sight of this monster
he had seen but once before, in the
gloom of night. one of Wakayoo's big
paws sent great splash of water high
in the air, and fish landed on the
pebbly shore. A little while before the
suckers had run up the creek In thou
sands to spawn, and the rapid lower
ing of the water had caught many of
them in these prison pools. Wakayoo's
fat, sleek body was evidence of the
prosperity this circumstance had
brought him. Although it was little
past the "prime" season for bearskins,
Wakayoo's coat was splendidly thick
and black.
For quarter Of an hour Baree
, watched him while he knocked fish out
of the pool When ut last he stopped
there were twenty or thirty fish among
others still Hopping. From where he
lay flattened out between two rocks,
Baree could hear the crunching of
:, flesh and bone as the bear devoured
his dinner. 1t sounded good, and the
fresh smell of fish filled him with a
craving that had never been reused
by crawfish or even partridge.
In spite of his fat and his size
Wakayoo was not glutton. and after
he had eaten his fourth fish he paved
all tho ofbopc tOUothor ~, q Milo Dortlx,
covered them by raking up sand and
stones with his long claws, and finished
his work of caching by breaking down
a small balsam sapling so that the fish
were entirely concealed. Then he lum-
bered slowly away in the direction of
the rumbling waterfall.
Twenty seconds after the last of
WakayoO had disappeared in turn of
the creek, Baree was under the broken
balsam. He dragged out a fish that
was still alive. He ate the whole of
it, and 1t was delicious
Baree now found that WakayOo had
solved the food problem for him. and
this day he did not return to the
beaver pond. nor the next. The big
bear was necessarily fishing up and
down the creek, and day after day
Baree continued his feasts.
For a week life was exceedingly
pleasant. And then came the break
the change that was destined to mean
rs much for Baree as that other day,
= long ago. had meant for Kazan. his
father. when he killed the man-brute
in the edge of the wilderness.
This change came on the day
when, in trotting around a great rock
near the waterfall. Baree found him
self face to face with Pierrot the hun
ter and Nepeese. the star-eyed girl
clearing.
1t was Nepeese whom he saw first.
Ii 1t had been Pierrot, he would have
turned back quickly. But again the
blood of his forebear was rousing
strange tremblings within him. Was it
like this that the first woman had
looked to Kazan?
BARGE stood still. Nepecse was not
more than twenty feet from him. She
sat on rock, full in the early morning
sun, and was brushing out her wonder
full hair Her lips parted. Her eyes
shone in an instant like stars. One
hand remained poised, weighted with
the Jet tresses. She recognized him.
She saw the white star on his breast
and the white tip on his ear. and I'M
der her breath she whispered, "Uchi
moosis 1.-The do:-Dvp!" 1t was the