Year: 1877

tersburg to bis home in the north of Rus.
sia.


He had reached little village about fif.
teen miles from his estate, and from this
place he had TO depend upon private trav-
cling conveyance. But this did not troub-
le him, as he was expected at home; and,
when he arrived at the village, he found
his comfortable sledge, with three good
horses, aud his own driver, Ivan, awaiting
him.


As it was not yet noon, and the snow on
the road was hard and firm, the general
felt quite certain that his horses, which had
been in the village all night, and were
fresh and strong, could take him home be-
fore dark.


So off they started, and for some miles
the ride was delightful. But when they
bad left the village about five miles behind
them, their way led through forest, and
they had not gone very far among the tall
trees and the snowcOvered rocks which
lined each side of the road, before one Of
the horses began to show unmistakable
signs of fright.


"What is the matter with him, Ivan2"
asked the general. 81 see nothing to fright
en- him."


The man answered that he saw nothing,
either, but that he thought the horse must
smell some wild beast.


"Well, push on as fast as you can," said
the general, who had good pair of pistols
with him, and was not particularly afraid
of any wild beasts, although be thought it
well to avoid them if it could be done.


So Ivan drove rapidly on but soon the
other horses became very restless, and then
they stopped short, all three of them.


"Why, what can have got into the crea-
tures7" cried the general rising in his seat.
"There is nothing TO lrighten them here.
Whip them up, Ivan! Make them go on"
SO Ivan piled his stout whip upon the
horses, but for a minute or two they would
not stir. Then all of sudden away they
dashed, almost tumbling Ivan of his seat,
so quick and strong was their unexpected
spring.


Aud they did not spring TOO soon, for
they had barely darted away before large
bear rushed out from between two great
rocks by the roadside. lie came with such
force that it was evident that he had expect
ed to spring either upon the sledge or one
| OF the horses.


Happily, neither the sledge nor the
horses were there when lie bounded into
the road. But he missed them by very lit
tie. His side almost touched the ends OF
the furs that few out from the back of the
sledge.


The general turned in his seat and drew
pistol, intending to tire at the bear. But
the wild gallop Of the horses had already
carried him too far for pistol TO be of use,
and he contented himself with watching
the discounted beast.


The impetuous rush of the bear had car
ried him across the road, and for a moment
he stopped to recover himself Then he
looked up and immediately set off in pur-
suit of the retreatiug sledge.


But this was useless, for the horses soon
len him far behind. The general, still
looking back, saw him leave tho road and
re-enter the woods.


"A lucky escapev said be TO Ivan "for
that was a big fellow, and l am afraid that
my pistol balls might not have been heavy
enough for him. We are well clear of
him."


"If we are clear of him." said Ivan. az
don't think ne will give up the chase so
easily. The road makes turn around the
rocky ledge, and fear that the bear will
hurry across through the woods, and meet
us again over there when we have made
the turn"


"Nonsensew said the general. "ue
would not have the sense to do that"


Ivan made no answer, for he had his own
ideas about the sense of bears but he urged
the horses forward.


AS they turned around the bend in the
road, the animals seemed filled with iren-
zy, and dashed madly over the ground.


"They scent him." cried Ivan, who made
no attempt 10 check their speed, "and there
he is T.


Sure enough, on a rock, a little higher
than the road, stood the bear. In an instant
they had reached him. AT the pace they
were going, it was impossible to stop; but
as the horses flew past the rock, they
swerved TO the opposite side of the narrow
road. Yet they could not escape the hum
cry beast. As they reached him, he sprang !;
and although he missed the horses, he
caught the sledge. With his great fore
paws, and his head and shoulders within
the sledge, he endeavored TO draw up his
hind-legs-a difficult matter at the rate the
horses were going.


The general, who was sitting on the op-
posle side from that to which the bear was
clinging, clapped his pistol to the creatures
head, and pulled the trigger.


Click 1t missed fire. At this, poor Ivan,
who, with horror-siricken ex xpression, was
looking back at the bear, threw down the
reins and sprang from the sledge. The
bear drew up one of his hind legs aud at
the same moment the general drew ub both
of his legs and rolled out on the snow.
He saw that II was time to get out.


The bear now drew himself entirely into
the sledge, and looked about him. The
horses galloped more wildly than ever-if
such thing were possible-and the rapid
motion seemed TO please the shaggy brute.
He sat down in the bottom of the sledge
and looked at the horses, as If wondering
which one he should spring upon first.


While he was thinking about the matter,
they reached the point where the road left
the woods and led out into the open coun-
try. The way now, for some distance, was
down hill, and as the frightened horses
plunged along, and tho sledge was whirled
around a turn, where 1t came very near
upseting, the bear had 10 hold fast to the
front seat TO keep from being thrown out.
On they went, the horses madly dashing
along, and the bear tightly clutching the
seat, until they reached the level road again.
Here the TREMENDOUS pace which they had
been keeping up almost from the time that
they had entered the forest began to tell