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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/21398-h.zip b/21398-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd4de67 --- /dev/null +++ b/21398-h.zip diff --git a/21398-h/21398-h.htm b/21398-h/21398-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..47010aa --- /dev/null +++ b/21398-h/21398-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6511 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> + +<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<TITLE> +The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Bruin, by Clarence Hawkes +</TITLE> + +<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> +BODY { color: Black; + background: White; + margin-right: 5%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: medium; + font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; + text-align: justify } + +P {text-indent: 4% } + +P.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +P.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: small } + +P.letter {font-size: small ; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.salutation {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.closing {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.footnote {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.transnote {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.index {font-size: small ; + text-indent: -5% ; + margin-left: 5% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.intro {font-size: medium ; + text-indent: -5% ; + margin-left: 5% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.dedication {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 15%; + text-align: justify } + +P.published {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 15% } + +P.quote {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 4% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.report {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 4% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.report2 {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 4% ; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.finis { text-align: center ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +H3.h3left { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 1%; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: left ; + clear: left ; + text-align: center } + +H3.h3right { margin-left: 1%; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: right ; + clear: right ; + text-align: center } + +H3.h3center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +H4.h4left { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 1%; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: left ; + clear: left ; + text-align: center } + +H4.h4right { margin-left: 1%; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: right ; + clear: right ; + text-align: center } + +H4.h4center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +H5.h5left { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 1%; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: left ; + clear: left ; + text-align: center } + +H5.h5right { margin-left: 1%; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: right ; + clear: right ; + text-align: center } + +H5.h5center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgleft { float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: 1%; + padding: 0; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgright {float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1%; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgcenter { margin-left: auto; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: auto; } + +.pagenum { position: absolute; + left: 1%; + font-size: 95%; + text-align: left; + text-indent: 0; + font-style: normal; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal; } + + + + +</STYLE> + +</HEAD> + +<BODY> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Black Bruin, by Clarence Hawkes + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Black Bruin + The Biography of a Bear + +Author: Clarence Hawkes + +Illustrator: Charles Copeland + +Release Date: May 9, 2007 [EBook #21398] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK BRUIN *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + +</pre> + + +<A NAME="img-front"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-front.jpg" ALT="BLACK BRUIN'S FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH A PANTHER" BORDER="2" WIDTH="399" HEIGHT="577"> +<H3 CLASS="h3center" STYLE="width: 600px"> +BLACK BRUIN'S FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH A PANTHER +</H3> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +BLACK BRUIN +</H1> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +The Biography of a Bear +</H2> + +<BR> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +By +</H4> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +Clarence Hawkes +</H3> + +<BR><BR> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +Author of +<BR> +Shaggycoat, The Biography of a Beaver<BR> +The Trail to the Woods<BR> +Tenants of the Trees<BR> +The Little Foresters<BR> +etc.<BR> +</H4> + +<BR> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +Illustrated by +<BR> +Charles Copeland +</H4> + +<BR><BR> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +Philadelphia +<BR> +George W. Jacobs & Co. +<BR> +Publishers +</H4> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H5 ALIGN="center"> +Copyright, 1908, by +<BR> +GEORGE W. JACOBS AND COMPANY +<BR><BR> +<I>All rights reserved</I> +<BR> +Printed in U. S. A. +</H5> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +Dedicated to +<BR> +My illustrator and friend +<BR><BR> +MR. CHARLES COPELAND +<BR><BR> +whose clever brush has caught so<BR> +perfectly each whim of nature in<BR> +field and forest, and called from<BR> +hiding the furtive furred and<BR> +feathered folk, who come and go<BR> +like shadows in the ancient woods.<BR> +</H3> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE GREAT BEAR OF THE MOUNTAINS<BR> +</H3> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +He had stolen the belt of Wampum<BR> +From the neck of Mishe-mokwa,<BR> +From the Great Bear of the mountains,<BR> +From the terror of the nations,<BR> +As he lay asleep and cumbrous,<BR> +On the summit of the mountains,<BR> +Like a rock with mosses on it,<BR> +Spotted brown and gray with mosses.<BR> +<SPAN STYLE="margin-left: 3em">—LONGFELLOW.</SPAN><BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +CONTENTS +</H2> + +<BR> + +<CENTER> + +<TABLE WIDTH="80%"> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top"> </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap00a">URSUS, THE DROLL. INTRODUCTORY</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">I. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap01">A THIEF IN THE NIGHT</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">II. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap02">THE CHASE</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">III. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap03">A WILDERNESS BABY</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IV. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap04">THE CUBHOOD OF BLACK BRUIN</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">V. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap05">A ROLLICKING ROGUE</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VI. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap06">THE LIFE OF A DANCING-BEAR</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap07">THE VAGABONDS</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VIII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap08">THE BEAST AND THE MAN</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IX. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap09">LIFE IN THE WILD</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">X. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap10">THE GREAT BEAR-HUNT</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XI. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap11">A PLEASANT COMPANION</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap12">THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XIII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap13">THE BEAR WITH A COLLAR</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XIV. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap14">THE WRECK</A></TD> +</TR> + +</TABLE> + +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +ILLUSTRATIONS +</H2> + +<BR> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#img-front"> +Black Bruin's first acquaintance with a panther . . . <I>Frontispiece</I> +</A> +</H3> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#img-086"> +The bear hurried in hot pursuit +</A> +</H3> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#img-162"> +Black Bruin dealt the porcupine a crushing blow +</A> +</H3> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#img-184"> +Growler sprang at Black Bruin's throat +</A> +</H3> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#img-196"> +He discovered another bear, watching the stream +</A> +</H3> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap00a"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +URSUS, THE DROLL +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +INTRODUCTORY +</H3> + +<P> +With the possible exception of the deer family, the bear is the most +widely disseminated big game, known to hunters. +</P> + +<P> +He makes his home within the Arctic Circle, often living upon the great +ice-floe, or dwells within a tropical jungle, and both climates are +agreeable to him, while longitudinally he has girdled the world. +</P> + +<P> +Of course bruin varies much, according to the climate in which he +lives, and the conditions of his life, but all the way from the poles +to the tropics he retains certain characteristics that always proclaim +him a bear. +</P> + +<P> +He is a plantigrade, walking like a man upon the soles of his feet. +There is more truth than poetry in Kipling's poem, "The Man Who Walks +Like a Bear," for some men do walk like a bear. +</P> + +<P> +Bruin's four-footed gait is a shuffle and a shamble, rather clumsy and +ludicrous, but it takes him over the ground at a surprising pace. +Queer, also, is the fact that the bear combines great dexterity with +his seeming clumsiness, as many a hunter has found to his cost. His +tree-climbing accomplishments are likewise remarkable, when we consider +his great size and weight. The grizzlies, and some other large +varieties, do not do tree-climbing, except when they are young. A +grizzly cub can climb a tree, but his wrists soon become too stiff to +permit of their bending about the trunk. +</P> + +<P> +Bruin's disposition also varies with the climate he inhabits. This in +turn is because his diet varies in differing latitudes. The farther +south he ranges, the more of a vegetarian he becomes. Consequently, he +is not so ferocious. The great white polar bear is largely +carnivorous, so he is a creature not to be trifled with; while on the +other hand, the little African sun bear is a rollicking, social, +good-natured little chap, weighing many times less than his fierce +cousin. +</P> + +<P> +Formerly, it has been supposed that the Numidian lion and the Bengal +tiger were the largest carnivorous animals in existence, but more +recent discoveries show that our Alaskan brown bear, found upon the +peninsulas of lower Alaska and Kodiak Island, is easily the master of +either, in size or strength. Some of the splendid skins taken from +these, the largest of all the bears, measure fourteen feet in length. +Alaska also gives us the smallest North American bear, the glacial bear. +</P> + +<P> +Californians are wont to tell us that the only true grizzly is that +found upon the cover of the <I>Overland Monthly</I>, but they overlook the +fact that the name was given to bears found along the Missouri River by +Lewis and Clarke, years before California, with all its wealth, was +discovered. +</P> + +<P> +In Russia, a fine specimen of the family is found in the Ural +Mountains. His peculiarity is a white collar about the neck, so his +Latin name, <I>Ursus collaris</I>, means the bear with a collar. All +through the Himalayas, this restless plantigrade has wandered, and even +far down upon the low-lying plains of India and China; but all the way +he shuffles and shambles and is the same droll fellow. +</P> + +<P> +The bear's vegetable diet consists of berries, nuts and many kinds of +roots. He will not refuse sweet apples and pears when he can find +them. In the tropics he eats nearly all the fruits that the natives +eat and leads altogether a lazy, luxurious life. Since food is +plentiful in these warm climates, he does not have to cross the path of +man to get it, or be forced to steal, as the bear living in colder +climes often does; so he is a good-natured, easy-going fellow, who will +let you alone if you do not pick a quarrel with him. This is much more +true of bears in general, than is usually supposed. +</P> + +<P> +In the tropics, the bear does not have to hibernate to keep the fat +that he has gained in the time of plenty upon his ribs. So his period +of sleeping is very short and in many cases he does not hibernate at +all; while, on the other hand, the bear of the cold northland sleeps +nearly half of the year. +</P> + +<P> +Hibernation seems to be a wise provision of nature by means of which +the bear conserves his flesh and strength during extreme weather. When +the ground is covered several feet deep with snow, it will readily be +seen that berry-picking would be difficult, and nuts and roots would be +hard to find, as would the ants and grubs under logs and stones, with +which the bear varies his diet in fine weather. The chipmunks and mice +have also denned up, so there is not much for bruin to do but sleep. +</P> + +<P> +There is one weakness that I believe the bear always indulges whenever +he can, no matter in what clime he be found, and that is a love for +sweets, especially honey. He will dare the sharp bayonets of the most +angry swarm of bees or climb the worst tree, if he feels at all certain +that there will be honey after his pains. In some countries, he +damages a great many telephone and telegraph poles and wires by +climbing the poles in search of that swarm of bees, which he imagines +he hears humming, inside the pole. +</P> + +<P> +In the temperate zone bears mate in the summer months and the young are +born late in January, during hibernation. Bear-cubs are very small +babies for such large parents, weighing much less in proportion to +their dams than most other mammals. They are blind, helpless and +almost hairless. +</P> + +<P> +As the old bear is very fat when they are born and they do nothing but +sleep in the dark den, they grow rapidly, so that when they are finally +brought forth at the age of perhaps four months, they have developed +wonderfully and would hardly be recognized as the tiny blind cubs of a +few weeks before. +</P> + +<P> +When the old bears first come forth from hibernation they eat very +little for two or three weeks. Their long fast and the inactivity of +the vital organs have greatly weakened the digestive parts, so they +must have time in which to recover, before they are made to do the hard +work of digesting flesh and bone. The bear, therefore, wisely contents +himself with grass and browse, living very much as a deer would, until +his digestive organs have regained their usual tone, when he will gorge +himself upon the first victim that he is lucky enough to catch. +</P> + +<P> +If Bruin lives in the vicinity of civilization, he would prefer to +break his fast with tender young pig. Pig, to the bear, is what +'possum is to the negro. He will travel for miles and take risks that +he does not often expose himself to, if thereby he can secure a +squealing porker. +</P> + +<P> +The sire and dam do not hibernate together and they are seen together +only during a few weeks of their honeymoon. +</P> + +<P> +Winter quarters are usually found under a fallen tree-top, or in some +natural den in the rocks. If a suitable place cannot be secured, the +bear will even do some excavating on his own account, but they +generally choose a den that nature has provided. +</P> + +<P> +The smaller bears which are usually known as the black bear, are found +to be both black and brown. Cubs of both colors will often be +discovered with the same mother, but the brown variety is not found +east of the Mississippi River. The really black bear also varies in +color with the seasons, being darker and glossier in the cold months. +</P> + +<P> +To see a bear really enjoy himself is to discover him in the blueberry +lot, standing upon his hind legs, swooping the berries into his mouth +with ravenous delight. At such a time his grin of benevolence is very +apparent. +</P> + +<P> +The cubs den up with the old bear the first fall, but usually shift for +themselves when the new cubs come, although it is not an infrequent +sight to see an old bear with two sizes of cubs following her. +</P> + +<P> +As a rule, the different varieties of black bear are not dangerous. +While they will occasionally charge the hunter when wounded, they +usually flee away at their best pace when danger appears. +</P> + +<P> +Even when interested with berry-picking or hunting, the bear is +watchful and wary and as his scent and hearing are of the keenest, he +is hard to surprise. It is probably true that his eyesight is not as +keen as his other senses. +</P> + +<P> +The black bear is hunted both on the still hunt, and with dogs. When +dogs are employed, a large pack is used, and they merely run the bear +until it is treed or brought to bay, when it is shot by the hunter. +Dogs are of little, if any, use in hunting grizzlies. +</P> + +<P> +There are several varieties of large bears, probably all variations of +grizzlies, which are differentiated locally. Some of these are the +roachback, the silver tip, the California grizzly, the plains bear, the +smut-face, etc. +</P> + +<P> +In the olden days before the grizzly became wise, he would charge +anything that walked either on two or four feet. But he has now +learned all about firearms, and is as willing to run from the hunter, +as is his cousin, the black bear. +</P> + +<P> +The bear's manner of hunting large game is usually by ambush. As most +of his victims are more fleet of foot than he, he does not undertake to +run them down in the open, but if he can get them at disadvantage in +thick cover, or at the lick, this is his opportunity. +</P> + +<P> +In the Adirondack country and in Northern Maine, it is a common sight +to see a young bear about a farmhouse, where he is as much at home as +the farm-dog. Many of the summer hotels, in this region, keep a tame +bear to amuse the visitors. +</P> + +<P> +These bears are obtained as cubs from any one who is fortunate enough +to discover a bear's den and who has the good luck to find the old bear +away from home and the cubs at his mercy. +</P> + +<P> +A likely cub can usually be obtained in either Maine or Northern New +York for five or ten dollars. +</P> + +<P> +Bears occasionally stray down the Green Mountains into Western +Massachusetts, where they inhabit the Hoosac Mountains, which are a +continuation of this range. +</P> + +<P> +Very recently a bear was killed near October Mountain, upon Mr. +Whitney's extensive game-preserve. He had been hanging about the +mountain all summer and had given two belated pedestrians a lively +sprint only the night before his Waterloo. Being emboldened by the +seeming servility of the neighborhood, bruin finally went to a +farmhouse and, forcing the kitchen door, marched boldly into the +well-ordered room to see what they were going to have for dinner. +While waiting for this meal, he amused himself by tumbling the pots and +pans about. This enraged the thrifty housewife, who seized a +double-barreled shotgun standing in the corner and discharged both +barrels simultaneously at the intruder. When the smoke cleared away, +it was discovered that she had bagged a bear weighing three hundred +pounds. +</P> + +<P> +The dancing bear of song and story, as well as of real life, has long +been the delight of children, but he is not now seen as frequently as +of yore. Bears in the circus to-day play a minor part in the +performance. +</P> + +<P> +This short introductory chapter is the pedigree and characteristics in +brief, of Ursus, the bear, whose varieties, like those of Reynard, the +fox, are legion. +</P> + +<P> +I have tried to give the reader some idea of the bear in general, but +these facts about bruin must be varied as the climate varies between +the arctic regions and the tropics. If a meat diet makes man cross and +brutal, and a fruit and vegetable diet makes him amiable and indolent, +they affect bruin in the same manner. +</P> + +<P> +But wherever you find a bear, be he a grizzly, black, or polar, basking +in the tropical sun, or freezing upon the ice-floe, he will still be +the same droll old chap, shuffling and shambling, sniffing and +inquiring with his keen nose. If he be the smaller black or brown +bear, he will often be found in the company of man, conducting himself +with dignity, and generally showing much good behavior for a wild beast. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap01"></A> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +Black Bruin +</H1> + +<BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER I +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +A THIEF IN THE NIGHT +</H3> + +<P> +Outside, the fitful early April wind howled dismally, swaying the +leafless branches of the old elm, and causing them to rub complainingly +against the gable end of the farmhouse. Two or three inches of fine +snow had fallen the day before and the wind tossed it about gleefully, +festooning the window-sashes and piling it high upon window-sills. It +was one of old winter's last kicks and made it seem even more wintry +than it really was. +</P> + +<P> +Although the wind moaned and the snow danced fitfully, within a certain +quaint farmhouse in Northern New York was warmth and comfort, all the +more apparent by the touch of winter outside. +</P> + +<P> +A cheerful fire was crackling in a large kitchen range, suggesting, by +its brightness and snapping, pine-knots full of pitch and resin. The +front doors of the stove were open and the firelight danced across the +room, filling it with cheer. It was one of those homelike kitchens +where everything is spick and span, and the nickel on the stove shines +like silver. +</P> + +<P> +A young farmer of perhaps thirty years was sitting with his shoes off +and his heels toasting upon the hearth, while his wife, a pretty, +rosy-cheeked country girl, of about his own age, sat in a large +splint-bottom chair, sewing. If it needed one more thing to complete +the cozy picture of simple, wholesome country life, it was not wanting, +for just at the wife's elbow was a cradle, which she occasionally +jogged with her foot, giving it just enough motion to keep it swaying +gently. In the cradle slumbered the heir of the household and the link +of pure gold that bound these two lives together. +</P> + +<P> +Everything in the room breathed contentment. The kettle hummed and +sputtered, sending forth its white cloud of steam, while the kitchen +clock ticked off the pleasant moments. +</P> + +<P> +The man was deeply interested in the weekly paper for which he had just +driven to the office, but he occasionally stopped to take a bite out of +a large red Baldwin apple that he found in a dish on the table near by. +</P> + +<P> +He was so engrossed in local items that he did not hear his wife's +excited question until it was repeated for the second time. +</P> + +<P> +"John, what is that?" she asked. +</P> + +<P> +"What is what?" he replied, laying down his paper that he might give +his full attention to her inquiry. +</P> + +<P> +"That noise on the piazza," she answered in a low tone. +</P> + +<P> +"I don't hear any noise," returned the man; but almost as he spoke a +slow shambling step made the floor-boards of the old piazza creak and a +heavy hand was laid upon the door. +</P> + +<P> +"Hello, who's there?" asked the man, for he could think of no one who +would be calling at the hour of nine, which is really late in a farming +community. +</P> + +<P> +But there was no reply to his inquiry, only the sound of a heavy step +moving up and down in front of the door. +</P> + +<P> +"Who are you, and what do you want?" repeated the young farmer in an +irritated tone, for he was both surprised and annoyed by the intrusion. +</P> + +<P> +For answer, the kitchen door began creaking and straining as though +great force was being exerted on it from the outside, and before the +astonished couple could exchange glances of amazement and incredulity, +with a mighty crash it tumbled in upon them, bringing one door-jamb +with it, and fell with a bang upon the floor. +</P> + +<P> +But the most astonishing thing of all was the figure that stood drawn +up to its full height in the doorway. +</P> + +<P> +The man and woman sat as though petrified, amazement and fear written +upon their pale faces, for there in the doorway, eyeing them intently, +and with no thought of retreat, was a large black bear. +</P> + +<P> +As the bear stood there, arms akimbo, bear fashion, her great white +teeth showing through half-parted lips, and the strong claws suggesting +what execution could be done by a well-directed blow, she was anything +but a reassuring visitor. +</P> + +<P> +The young farmer, feeling that something must be done to scare off this +hair-raising intruder, leaped to his feet in sudden desperation, and, +shouting at the top of his voice, seized the door and slammed it back +into the casing with all his strength, bumping the bear's nose +severely. Then he set his shoulder against it, and braced with all his +might. +</P> + +<P> +But his move was a bad one, for there was a short angry growl on the +outside and the next instant the door, farmer and all went spinning +across the room, the man falling heavily and striking against the stove +in the fall, and the great shaggy monster at once followed up her +advantage by shambling awkwardly into the room. +</P> + +<P> +The woman screamed and fainted, and then a gust of wind from the open +doorway blew out the light, leaving the kitchen in darkness. +</P> + +<P> +For a few moments the only sounds heard in the room were the ticking of +the clock, the humming of the teakettle, and the shambling steps of the +bear as she prowled about. But both of the figures on the floor were +unconscious of what was going on, while a bright stream of blood +trickled from a deep cut in the man's forehead. +</P> + +<P> +Finally he was aroused by a cold draft of air upon his head. He put +his hand to his forehead and saw that it was dripping with a warm +fluid. He then put his fingers into his mouth and tasted and knew that +it was blood. Then full consciousness surged into his throbbing head +and he remembered. +</P> + +<P> +There was no animate sound in the room and a terrible foreboding +chilled his heart. He listened for his wife's breathing, but no such +sound reached his ears. +</P> + +<P> +"Mary," he called in a whisper, "are you here?" But there was only the +ticking of the clock and the hum of the kettle. +</P> + +<P> +With an unspeakable fear he sprang to his feet, throwing off all +caution and cried, "Mary," in a loud voice, but with no better results. +</P> + +<P> +Then with a trembling hand he struck a match and by its feeble light +saw his wife lying on the floor like one dead. Kneeling beside her he +felt her pulse. It fluttered feebly and he knew she had only swooned. +A dash of cold water soon revived her and she sat up and looked +bewilderingly about. +</P> + +<P> +There upon the floor lay the door with the shattered jamb beside it and +in front of the stove was a bright pool of blood, but no bear was +visible. Then the match went out and they were again in darkness. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly, with a paroxysm of fear, the woman sprang forward and +clutched in the darkness for the cradle; then with a wild, pitiful, +heartbroken cry, she fell to the floor. +</P> + +<P> +"Mary, Mary, what is the matter?" cried the bewildered husband, trying +with trembling fingers to strike another match. +</P> + +<P> +A moment it sputtered and then burned bright, and by the fitful light +the man beheld that which turned his blood to ice and his heart to +stone. The cradle was empty, and the baby was gone. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap02"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER II +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE CHASE +</H3> + +<P> +When the sudden gust of wind from the open door blew out the light and +left the room in darkness, the great she-bear was not as much +inconvenienced as one might imagine, for the bear is something of a +prowler at night, doing much thieving and hunting when the darkness +screens its deeds, as he has a very good pair of night-eyes. +</P> + +<P> +Being thus left in darkness, the great brute stepped gingerly about, +taking care not to tread upon the two prostrate forms on the floor, +until she came to the cradle. There she stooped and investigated, +passing her tongue caressingly over the little sleeper's face. Then +with her great clumsy paws she drew the blanket in which the baby had +been wrapped about the sleeping child, and taking the loose ends in her +teeth, swung it clear of the cradle and held it as though in a hammock. +</P> + +<P> +Still standing erect, the bear edged carefully to the doorway, but once +on the piazza, where she felt sure that the way was clear, she dropped +on all fours, and started for the woods at a clumsy, shuffling trot. +But clumsy as the gait was, it took her over the ground rapidly, and +she was soon far into the forest. +</P> + +<P> +The heartbroken mother, after being brought back to consciousness, +could only sit and wring her hands and moan, "O John, John, my baby, my +darling, I shall never see it again." +</P> + +<P> +For a few moments the strong young man sat as though stunned by the +suddenness of the blow. His brawny arms were nerveless; the heart had +gone out of him, leaving him helpless as a little child. But presently +his strong manhood asserted itself, and a bright glitter came into his +keen, gray eyes. +</P> + +<P> +"Mary," he said, almost roughly, "stop taking on so and listen to me. +I am going after our child and with God's help I will bring him back." +The realization of the hopelessness of it all nearly choked him, but he +had to say something to quiet the look of misery and terror in his +wife's eyes. +</P> + +<P> +"I want you to stay right here until I come back. I am a strong man +and a good shot and no harm will come to me. No matter how long I am +gone, or how lonely you get, you are not to stir from the house. Do +you hear?" +</P> + +<P> +The young mother looked at him in a dazed manner as though she but half +comprehended, but at last a look of understanding and eagerness came +into her eyes. +</P> + +<P> +"I am going too," she said. +</P> + +<P> +The man had foreseen and feared this and had tried to forestall it. +</P> + +<P> +"No," he said, roughly, "you cannot go. Stay right in this room until +I return." +</P> + +<P> +As he spoke he took down an old double-barreled gun, and drawing the +shot in one barrel, rammed home a Minie ball that just fitted the bore. +This was a rude makeshift for a rifle, but it was the best he could do. +</P> + +<P> +Hastily slipping on his overcoat and cap, and tenderly kissing his +wife, he passed out into the darkness, on his hazardous and almost +hopeless mission. But before taking the trail, he went to the shed and +aroused an old hound who was sleeping upon a door-mat inside. +</P> + +<P> +"Here, Hecla," he called. "Come along. You may be of some help to me +to-night." +</P> + +<P> +Then tying a long piece of rope to the hound's collar, that she might +not follow too fast, he said, "Here, Hecla, good dog," indicating the +beast's track in the snow. "Sic, Si-c-c-c-c." +</P> + +<P> +As the strong bear scent fumed into the old hound's nostrils, the hair +rose upon her neck and she stood uncertain. +</P> + +<P> +"Si-c-c-c-c," repeated the man sternly. +</P> + +<P> +Reluctantly the hound took the trail, the man following close behind. +Across the mowing and into the pasture, and straight for the deep +woods, the track led. +</P> + +<P> +The man groaned as he thought of the hopelessness of his task;—to +follow a full-grown bear into the deep woods at night, and recover +safely from its clutches a little child. +</P> + +<P> +This was his only hope, though, so setting his teeth, and remembering +the pale face of his wife, the terror in her eyes, and his promise to +bring their boy back safely, he kept on swiftly and bravely. +</P> + +<P> +Fifteen minutes brought man and dog to the woods, and without +hesitation they plunged into its depths. It was not so easy going here +as it had been in the open. The rope was always getting tangled in the +underbrush, and a stop every few minutes to unloose it had to be made. +</P> + +<P> +Sometimes the man plunged up to his waist in the snow where it lay deep +in some hollow. Sometimes it was a dead limb lying across his path +that sent him sprawling. Occasionally the underbrush lashed his face +and tore his skin. But these were little things. Somewhere in the +interminable woods a great brute of a bear was perhaps at this very +moment—he dared not finish the thought, he could only groan. +</P> + +<P> +For half an hour they floundered forward, now slipping and sliding, and +now falling, but always up and on again. +</P> + +<P> +At last, when the man was almost winded, and his breath was coming in +quick gasps, a faint, far-off cry floated down to him through the +ghostly aisles of the naked wind-swept forest. At first it was so +faint as to be almost unintelligible, but as they pressed on, it grew +louder and clearer, until the man recognized the pitiful wailing of a +baby. +</P> + +<P> +"Thank God!" he gasped, "my boy is still alive." +</P> + +<P> +By this time the old hound had fairly warmed up to the chase and was +tugging on the rope and whining eagerly. +</P> + +<P> +To let the dog go on now might frighten the bear and thus defeat the +whole undertaking, so the man tied her to a sapling, and, bidding her +keep quiet, crept cautiously forward. +</P> + +<P> +A hundred feet farther on, the cries from the child grew louder. A +moment more and he caught sight of the bear leaning up against a large +beech, holding the baby in her strong arms. +</P> + +<P> +To the agonized father's great surprise the bear's attitude looked +almost maternal; she seemed indeed to be trying in her brute way to +soothe the infant. She caressed its face with her nose, and lapped it +with her long, soft red tongue. If it had been one of her own cubs she +could not have shown more concern. +</P> + +<P> +So much the frantic father noted, while he stood irresolute, uncertain +what to do next. The bear would have been an easy shot by daylight, if +there had been no baby to consider. But there was that little bundle +of humanity, the man's own flesh and blood, and a bullet in order to +pierce the bear's heart must strike within a few inches of the baby's +head. The task that King Gessler set William Tell, was child's play +compared with this. To shoot might mean to kill his own child, and not +to shoot might mean a still more terrible death for the infant. +</P> + +<P> +The child's wails now grew louder and more frequent. The old bear +became uneasy; in another moment she might flee farther into the woods, +or worse than that, might silence the little one with a blow or a +crunch of her powerful jaws. +</P> + +<P> +The desperate man raised his gun. The fitful moonlight shimmered and +danced upon the barrel, and the shadows from the tree-tops alternated +with the dancing moonbeams. He could see the sight but dimly and, +added to all this, was the thought that the gun was not a rifle, with +an accurate bullet, but an old shotgun loaded with a Minie ball. +</P> + +<P> +At first, his arms shook so that he could not hold the gun steady, but +by a mighty effort he nerved himself. For a second the moon favored +him; a moment the sight glinted just in front of the bear's left +shoulder, frightfully close to his child's head, and then he pressed +the trigger. +</P> + +<P> +A bright flame leaped from the muzzle of the old gun; its roar +resounded frightfully through the aisles of the naked woods, and its +last echo was followed by the startled cry of the infant. +</P> + +<P> +Dropping the gun in the snow, the man bounded forward, drawing a long +knife from his belt as he ran. Four or five frantic bounds carried him +to the foot of the beech, where the bear had stood when he fired. +</P> + +<P> +There in the snow lay the enormous black form, and close beside it in a +snowdrift, still nicely wrapped in its blanket, was the child, +apparently without a scratch upon it. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap03"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER III +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +A WILDERNESS BABY +</H3> + +<P> +When the young farmer beheld the great hulk of the black bear lying +motionless at the foot of the beech, and saw his child lying unharmed +in the snow, his eye, that had been so keen at the moment of peril, +grew dim and his senses swam, like one upon a high pinnacle, about to +fall. +</P> + +<P> +But it was only for a second. His strong nerves soon restored him, and +he stooped and picked up the baby, although he was so blinded with glad +tears that he had to grope for the precious bundle. +</P> + +<P> +What a miracle it was, he thought; only the watchful care of a special +Providence could have steadied his hand for that desperate shot. The +more he considered, the more miraculous it seemed, and with a heart +welling up with praise and gratitude, he silently thanked God for the +deliverance, then woke the leafless forest with a glad, "Halloo." +</P> + +<P> +This was intended for the old hound, and she at once responded with a +quick succession of joyous barks. +</P> + +<P> +The man had been a little uncertain of the direction home, as he had +followed the trail feverishly, but the dog's greeting at once set him +right. Shielding the baby in his arms, and picking out as good footing +as he could in the uncertain light, he made all haste back to his +faithful canine, whose whines and barks guided him from time to time. +</P> + +<P> +"It's all right, Hecla, old girl, I've got him," he cried as soon as he +came within speaking distance of the dog. The father's joy was so +great that he had to impart it to some one. +</P> + +<P> +He lost no time in untying the dog and with her as a guide they were +able to follow the homeward trail through the darkest places in safety. +He must make all possible haste, for he remembered the look of mute +agony in his wife's eyes, as she stood at the door watching his +departure. +</P> + +<P> +"Home, home, Hecla!" he cried, each time they plunged into deeper gloom +than usual. "We must hurry." +</P> + +<P> +But the good dog needed no urging. Out and in, unerringly, she led +him, until the open pasture lot was reached. +</P> + +<P> +Then with a glad bark she bounded over the stone wall and started +across the fields at a pace that her master could not keep. He did not +call her back, for he felt sure that she could impart the glad news to +her mistress before his coming, and anything to relieve the suspense at +home was desirable. +</P> + +<P> +While the two had been floundering through the deep woods upon their +seemingly hopeless quest, the grief-stricken mother had paced the +kitchen floor, wringing her hands and moaning. Occasionally, as the +moments dragged slowly by, she would go to the piazza and listen until +it seemed that her ear-drums would burst with the intensity of her +effort, but only the moaning of the wind, and the usual night sounds +came to her ears. +</P> + +<P> +At last, in one of these anxious periods of listening, she thought she +detected the barking of old Hecla, but was not certain. Perhaps it was +only the wind playing pranks upon her overwrought nerves, or the +hooting of an owl. +</P> + +<P> +She waited expectantly and a few seconds later, hearing the old hound's +glad bark as she bounded over the wall between the pasture and the +mowing, knew that John had sent her with a message for the mistress of +Clover-hill Farm. There was something in the dog's bark that put hope +into her heart, and she ran to meet her. +</P> + +<P> +"Hecla, Hecla, old friend, what is it?" cried the mother, as the +faithful canine, panting from the hard run, capered breathlessly about +her mistress, wagging her tail and quivering with excitement. +</P> + +<P> +"Can't you tell me, Hecla? Is my baby safe?" +</P> + +<P> +For answer the dog gave several glad barks, and barking and capering, +plainly invited her mistress to follow her and see that she brought +good news. +</P> + +<P> +The mother, whose arms seemed so empty, was only too glad to do this. +It had only been because of her husband's stern command and for fear +that her presence might defeat the enterprise, that she had stayed at +home at all. +</P> + +<P> +With the trained sight of a woodsman, John saw them coming long before +his wife saw him, and he hallooed to them at the top of his voice. +</P> + +<P> +"It's all right, mother," he cried, "I've got little John." +</P> + +<P> +A few seconds later he placed the baby in its mother's arms and sank +down in the snow exhausted from his long, hard run. +</P> + +<P> +When he had recovered his breath and had gasped out a few words of +explanation, all hurried back to the farmhouse, the old dog leading the +way. +</P> + +<P> +In half an hour's time the cozy kitchen was righted. The door had been +rehung and the accustomed warmth and good cheer had returned to the +room, where the kettle hummed and the clock ticked just as though +nothing had happened. +</P> + +<P> +But to the young couple, who sat by the fireside talking it over, that +last half hour seemed like a nightmare. +</P> + +<P> +The following morning, when the first faint streak of daylight was +whitening the east, the young farmer and his faithful dog again took +the trail for the woods. +</P> + +<P> +How different was their going now, from that of the night before! +Then, an awful fear had gripped the man's heart, and the sympathetic +dog had felt her master's misery; but now, the man's step was quick and +joyous, and the dog bounded about him with barks of delight. +</P> + +<P> +The tracks made the night before were still quite plain, and they soon +came to the beech where the bear had stood when the hair-raising shot +was made. There lay the great carcass in the snow just as it had the +night before. +</P> + +<P> +The coat was long and glossy, of a deep black on the outside, and +rather lighter on the under side. Her forearms were strong and her +claws were most ample. Her jaw was massive, and altogether she was a +beast that one would not care for a close acquaintance with, especially +if she thought her young were in danger. +</P> + +<P> +It was useless to think of moving the prize without a team, so the +exultant farmer went home for a horse and a sled, and in half an hour's +time the huge bear was lying upon the porch of the farmhouse. +</P> + +<P> +News of the startling event spread rapidly and half a dozen neighbors +gathered to see the bear weighed. To the astonishment of all, she +tipped the beam at three hundred pounds, which is a few pounds short of +the record for the largest she-bear ever weighed. +</P> + +<P> +Two of the neighbors helped remove the fine skin and received some +bear-steak in return for their labor. +</P> + +<P> +Late in the afternoon, the now famous hunter again shouldered his gun +and set off for the woods, followed by old Hecla. He was not satisfied +in his own mind, that they had found out all there was to know about +the strange appearance of the bear at the farmhouse. If there should +be more "goods in the case," as he expressed it, so much the better; +but if not, he would keep his own counsel and no one would suspect that +he had been upon a second bear-hunt. +</P> + +<P> +He went directly to the tree where the dead bear had lain, and examined +the snow carefully. He soon found a well-defined trail that led +farther back into the woods. This he followed easily, and it brought +him to an old fallen hemlock, which was partly covered with snow. The +tracks led into the deepest, thickest portion of the top and there +ended at the mouth of a burrow that had been tunneled down underneath. +</P> + +<P> +The hunter got a long pole and prodded about in the tree-top until he +satisfied himself that there was nothing formidable inside. Then +setting his gun against a tree trunk, he crawled into the burrow. +</P> + +<P> +He had entered only three or four feet, when a weak, pitiful whine +greeted his ears. "Just as I thought," he muttered. "There are cubs +here." +</P> + +<P> +A few feet farther down he found them,—two astonishingly small +bear-cubs. One whined pitifully and struggled to his feet as though in +anticipation of supper, but the other was cold and stiff. It had +evidently been dead for some time. +</P> + +<P> +The excited bear-hunter took them both in his arms and clambered out of +the den, feeling well repaid for his search. +</P> + +<P> +Holding the cub that was still alive under his coat for warmth and +protection from the wind, he hurried home, while the hound leaped about +him and sniffed suspiciously at his coat. +</P> + +<P> +His wife was sitting in the cozy kitchen sewing, and occasionally +jogging the cradle, when he entered and, without a word of explanation, +dropped the live cub in her lap. +</P> + +<P> +"O John," she cried, "what a dear little dog he is. Where did you get +him?" +</P> + +<P> +"Under an old tree-top in the woods," he replied. "It isn't a puppy, +it is a bear-cub. +</P> + +<P> +"Here is his brother," and he held up the dead cub for her inspection. +"I guess the old bear came round and stole your baby to take the place +of her dead cub. There are tracks behind the house where she came up +to the window and stood upon her hind legs and looked in. Sort of +taking inventory, as you might say." +</P> + +<P> +The woman went to the north kitchen window and to her great +astonishment saw that her husband had not been joking. There were +bear-tracks, and also two large paw-prints upon the window-sill that +told of a silent watcher of their domestic fireside. +</P> + +<P> +A box was brought from the wood-shed and lined with an old blanket, and +milk was warmed for the little wilderness baby, that had found its way +so strangely into the farmhouse. +</P> + +<P> +It was ravenously hungry and the man held it, while the wife poured +warm milk, a few drops at a time, into its mouth. At first the process +was rather laborious, but after a few hours the young bear would gulp +down the warm milk gladly. +</P> + +<P> +Thus the bear-cub began his life at the farmhouse, lying in a warm box +behind the stove and drinking milk from a saucer. Most of his days and +nights he spent in sleeping, as is the wont of young animals, and this +was nature's sure way of making him strong and sleek. +</P> + +<P> +The following Saturday the farmer went to town, where he was much +lionized as a bear-hunter and the whole story had to be told over and +over to each one he met. That night at the supper-table he remarked to +his wife that he had seen Dave Holcome, a famous trapper and +bear-hunter in his day, and had asked him what he thought about the +bear's stealing the baby. +</P> + +<P> +"What did he say?" inquired the wife, all interest. +</P> + +<P> +"Wal," drawled her husband, in exact imitation of Dave, "bars are +durned curus critters, almost as curus as women. You can hunt and trap +'um all your life an' think you know all about 'um, then along will +come a bar that will teach you difrunt. There ain't no use in makin' +rules about bar ettyket, cuz ef you do, some miserable pig-headed bar +will break 'um all ter smash, jest like this 'ere one did. But I think +there is a good deal surer way uv accountin' for the critter's action +than what you say. It's my idee that he mistook the baby for a young +pig." +</P> + +<P> +"The wretch," exclaimed the indignant wife, but her husband only +laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. +</P> + +<P> +"You didn't get any mail, did you?" she asked, when his mirth had +subsided. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, I did," he answered. "Here is a letter. I had forgotten all +about it." The letter proved to be from a town thirty or forty miles +to the north, and was as follows: +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +"DEAR SIR: I have been much interested in reading in our local paper +the account of a strange visitor that you had at your house early in +the week. I think I may be able to shed some light on that +extraordinary event. +</P> + +<P> +"About eight years ago I secured a bear-cub when it was still small and +brought it up in my household. There was at the same time in my family +a baby to which the cub became much attached. No dog was ever more +devoted to a child, than was the bear-cub as the two grew up together. +They were constant companions and were inseparable. +</P> + +<P> +"Finally the bear became so strong a partisan of the child that she was +really jealous of the rest of the family. She seemed to think that the +child belonged to her. The second summer on several occasions the two +strayed far from home. The bear seemed to like to toll the child away, +where she could have it all to herself. +</P> + +<P> +"One day when the boy refused to follow where its shaggy companion led, +the bear fastened her teeth in the man-cub's clothes and carried her +small master, kicking and protesting, to the woods, where both were +found some hours later. +</P> + +<P> +"I interfered at this point and shipped the bear away to a summer +hotel, where they wanted something to amuse the visitors. She soon +tired of the company and escaped to the wild. +</P> + +<P> +"Now I am confident that our old Blackie and your bear are one and the +same, but the matter is easily settled. Our bear had lost a toe on her +left hind leg, the consequence of getting in front of the mowing +machine in the tall grass when she was small. Please examine your +specimen in this particular and let me hear from you." +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +"The riddle is solved," exclaimed the husband excitedly tossing the +letter across the table to his wife. "I noticed the missing toe when I +removed the skin. It is a great relief to have the matter cleared up." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap04"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER IV +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE CUBHOOD OF BLACK BRUIN +</H3> + +<P> +For several weeks the furry, fuzzy little bear in the box behind the +kitchen stove did little but drink milk and sleep. If he did crawl out +of his box on to the floor, it was simply to investigate the +surroundings, and he would go about the room, poking his nose into all +the corners, and sniffing suspiciously. +</P> + +<P> +But by degrees as he grew stronger and sturdier he evinced much +curiosity, playfulness and drollery, and to these characteristics would +have to be added, when he became partly grown, a kind of bear sense of +humor which was quite ludicrous. +</P> + +<P> +His first playfellow was the pillow which he tumbled off the sofa one +day. Having discovered that it was detachable, he always made for it +as soon as the spirit of play seized him. He would toss and tumble it +about, now standing it upon end and batting it over with his paw and +then rolling it over and over on the floor. +</P> + +<P> +The second object in the room that claimed his lasting attention was +pussy, but she was much more animated than the sofa-pillow. The first +time that the fuzzy little cub went up and smelted of her, she gave him +a savage cuff on the nose, which sent him whining to his box, and he +did not seek further acquaintance with pussy for several days. +</P> + +<P> +He would stand and look at her for five minutes at a time. This made +the cat very uneasy, and she would go about from place to place, trying +to get away from those small, bright, inquiring eyes. At last the cub +again got up courage to sniff at the old cat, and this time she did not +cuff him. +</P> + +<P> +As long as he was respectful, she did not mind him, but when he got too +playful or subjected her to indignities, pussy retaliated with that +sharp cuff on the nose, which always had the desired effect. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin, or Whiney, as he was sometimes called when he was a small +cub, soon learned to make his wants known. When he wished either milk +or water, he would set up the most comical little whine, which was +always effectual in getting it for him. One day he was given a saucer +which had a little maple syrup in it, and his delight knew no bounds. +After that he whined so long and frequently for syrup that he received +his nickname of Whiney. +</P> + +<P> +In the cool April evenings as they sat about the fire, the master would +often lift the small bear upon his knee, and let him sniff about his +clothing, and lick his hand with his long, narrow red tongue. Then he +would roll and tumble him about and Black Bruin would make believe to +bite at his master and chew at his sleeves. Finally, these evening +romps got to be a regular part of the farm-life, as much enjoyed by the +master, as by the cub. +</P> + +<P> +When May came, and it was warmer, so that the doors leading to the +wood-shed and the porch were left open, the little bear's world grew +apace. Before, his horizon had been the four walls of the kitchen; now +he could go and come as he pleased, about the yard and in the +outbuildings. +</P> + +<P> +He made the acquaintance of Hecla, the old hound, while he was still a +prisoner in the kitchen, but they came to know each other better when +the cub got out of doors. At first, the dog was inclined to attack the +small bundle of bear-meat, but her master calmed her anger, and +explained to her, as best he could, that Black Bruin was one of the +family and should be treated with respect and consideration. So +finally she became reconciled to his presence, but she never could get +over his scent, which always filled her with suspicion. +</P> + +<P> +When the cub got out of doors where he could run about and exercise, he +began to grow very rapidly in stature. Before, he had been a football +or a bundle of fur, but now he began to put on the semblance of a bear. +</P> + +<P> +He also developed a great genius for mischief. If I should tell of all +the things he overturned or upset, this chapter would be endless. +</P> + +<P> +A naturalist, who has reared several bear-cubs, says, "If you have an +enemy, give him a bear-cub. His punishment will be adequate, no matter +what his offense." But the young farmer and his wife did not think so, +and as for the baby who was now learning to walk, "Bar-Bar," as he +called the young bruin, was a never-ending source of delight. +</P> + +<P> +He would bury his wee hands in the fuzzy hair of the cub and pull with +all his might, and the cub would growl with make-believe fury, but it +seemed to know that the baby did not intend to hurt it, and did not +offer to bite. When the baby pulled its ears too hard, it would simply +run away. +</P> + +<P> +Outside, in the farmyard, among the chickens, turkeys, ducks, and +geese, at first the cub was rather shy, for the gobbler turkey, the +gander and the rooster all set upon him and drove him whining into the +woodshed; but he soon learned that all were afraid of his paws, when he +stood upon his hind legs and really hit out with them, so after that +discovery, he was master of all the feathered folk about the farmhouse. +</P> + +<P> +All about the farm-buildings the little bear followed his master. But +best of all he liked to go to the stable and watch the milking, for in +one corner was a small dish, into which he knew a pint of warm milk +would be poured as soon as milking was done. +</P> + +<P> +One morning the farmer heard a great noise in the hen-house. The hens +were kedacuting for dear life and he hastened to the scene of the +disturbance. What he discovered was both ludicrous and annoying, for +there by one of the nests was his small bear in the act of pawing out +an egg, while the empty shell of another upon the ground told only too +plainly that he had discovered the use of eggs. +</P> + +<P> +After that the hen-house was never quite safe from him. Whenever he +was caught inside, he was punished, but hens' nests that he found +out-of-doors were considered his natural plunder. +</P> + +<P> +June came, and the latter part of the month the bear-shadow followed +its master into the hayfield. Here it made a discovery that was much +to its liking. +</P> + +<P> +The bear was sniffing about as usual, poking his nose into all the +holes and bushes, when a low humming in the grass near by caught his +ear. +</P> + +<P> +It was a sound that has made bears smile ever since the first bear +licked up his first taste of honey. So Black Bruin crept cautiously +forward to investigate. As he advanced, the humming grew louder and +presently a small fury darted out at him. +</P> + +<P> +It was not much larger than a fly, but it gave him such a pin-prick in +the nose that he was angry, and so struck it down into the grass, and +crushed the life out of it with his swift paw. Then he crept closer to +the humming and buzzing, which was now quite ominous. Soon more of the +little furies came buzzing out, all of which he killed as he had the +first. +</P> + +<P> +When the bee-hunter had crushed the dozen bees comprising the nest, he +dug down to the secret hidden in the roots of the grass and found that +it was much sweeter than the maple syrup which they had given him at +the farmhouse. The nest was also full of white eggs or grubs which +were quite palatable. After that day, Black Bruin was a persistent +hunter for bumblebees' nests. +</P> + +<P> +From the bumblebees' nest to the hives of the honeybees in the orchard +back of the house was a very natural step, but the farmer had not +dreamed that the bear would discover the secret of the small white +houses. +</P> + +<P> +One afternoon he heard a great humming of the bees in the orchard, and, +thinking they were swarming, put on his bee-veil and went to +investigate. The sight that met his eyes filled him with both mirth +and wrath. There upon the ground was one of the hives overturned and +pulled apart. Many of the partly filled sections were thus exposed, +while others were empty of both comb and honey. +</P> + +<P> +The thief, who was none other than Black Bruin, was holding up a +section between his paws, while with his supple red tongue he licked +out the contents. Although the bees were swarming about him in a black +cloud and doing their best to punish the thief, he paid little +attention to them but licked away for dear life. +</P> + +<P> +Upon his droll countenance was a look of such supreme delight, that the +angry farmer ended by laughing heartily; but after that experience he +surrounded the beehives with a stout barbed wire fence. +</P> + +<P> +About the middle of July, or perhaps a little later, a neighbor's +children took Black Bruin to the blueberry lot. +</P> + +<P> +They had often romped and played with him, and he was glad to go, +although he could not be coaxed to follow a stranger. He shuffled +along in his droll bear manner, often stopping to sniff under a stone +or in some corner, where his wild instinct told him that there might be +something interesting. +</P> + +<P> +Arrived at the berry-field, the children began picking and for a time +Bruin sat upon his haunches and watched them, his red tongue lolling +out, for it was a hot mid-summer day. +</P> + +<P> +Finally, one of the children picked a handful of berries and offered +them to their four-footed companion, thinking it would be a good joke +upon him. To their surprise, he not only lapped up the berries with +keen satisfaction, but asked in plain bear language for more. +</P> + +<P> +He was so much pleased with the flavor of the new food that he finally +put his long red tongue into their pails, and they had to box his ears +severely. Then he went and sat down a little way off, seemingly much +abused. +</P> + +<P> +Soon the children heard a noise in a bush near by, as if some one was +picking, so they went to investigate. They found Black Bruin standing +upon his hind legs, while with both paws and his long tongue he scooped +the blueberries into his wide-open mouth. He was bending and thrashing +the bush about to get it where he wanted it, and did not see that he +was observed. Upon his droll bear face was written deep delight, for +another of earth's riches had yielded to his inquisitive nose and paws. +</P> + +<P> +After that he was often one of the party when the children went +berrying, but if the berries were scarce they preferred to leave him at +home. He was quite independent, however, and often went berrying by +himself. +</P> + +<P> +Blackberries he managed in the same manner, but when the thorns pricked +his tongue, he would growl and look astonished, as much as to say, "Now +what does that mean? I didn't see a bee about." +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin also made other interesting discoveries in the pasture. +One day, either by chance or design, he turned over a small rotten log +and found that on the under side it was swarming with ants and grubs. +Then how his tongue did fly as he licked them up and how the ants +scampered in every direction trying to hide before he should get them! +</P> + +<P> +But ants and grubs were not the only game under the logs. One day when +he had turned over a larger log than usual, he was astonished to see a +tiny four-footed creature run squeaking out. Black Bruin hopped +clumsily after the field-mouse. Pat, pat went his heavy paws, but the +mouse ran this way and that, dodging and squeaking, and several times +he missed, although by this time he was quite expert with his paws. +Finally he landed fairly upon the poor mouse, and its life was crushed +out. Then he swooped it into his hungry mouth, and found it much +better than grubs and ants. After that, whenever a mouse ran out from +under a log or stone that he overturned, he made a desperate effort to +get it. +</P> + +<P> +One day while sniffing about a hollow log, as was his wont, the bear +discovered still a new scent that was neither grubs, ants nor +field-mice, so he began tearing the log apart, for it was quite rotten. +</P> + +<P> +He had been at work but a few minutes, when with a great chipping a +small striped animal, several times larger than the field-mouse, ran +between his legs and scurried away in the grass. Although much +astonished, the bear hurried in hot pursuit. This little creature, +like the mouse, ran hither and thither, dodging and twisting. Finally +after several misses, he landed his paw squarely upon it and the hunter +had bagged his first chipmunk. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-086"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-086.jpg" ALT="The Bear Hurried in Hot Pursuit" BORDER="2" WIDTH="399" HEIGHT="571"> +<H3 CLASS="h3center" STYLE="width: 399px"> +The Bear Hurried in Hot Pursuit +</H3> +</CENTER> + +<P> +This game was so much larger than the field-mouse that he thought it +well worth while, and after that whenever he scented a chipmunk about a +log or stone wall, he would spend an hour, if need be, until he was +satisfied that he could not get at it. +</P> + +<P> +Finally the summer passed and the autumn came, and the bear-cub +followed the children to the woods for chestnuts, beech-nuts and +walnuts. +</P> + +<P> +He, too, learned the secret of the sweet meat under the hard exterior. +Beechnuts he would discover and eat by himself, but walnuts and +butternuts he could not crack, and as for chestnuts, he wanted them +taken out of their prickly jackets before he could eat them. Here in +the deep woods the bear also discovered several roots which were to his +liking, so he was always nosing about in the dead leaves, for if he +didn't find nuts, he would find roots. +</P> + +<P> +Thus passed the cubhood of Black Bruin, and, from a fuzzy mite, whining +for his saucer of milk, he grew into a sturdy cub, strong and +self-reliant, able to forage and hunt for himself. +</P> + +<P> +Without training from any parent, he learned some of the things that it +was necessary for him to know in the fields and forest. Thus the +instinct of his bear ancestors asserted its power in the pampered and +spoiled pet of the farmhouse, and if he had chosen, he could probably +have taken care of himself as a real wild bear. But he did not care to +do so, although he had every chance to run away; there was something +always calling to him at the farmhouse. +</P> + +<P> +The people there had been good to him. In the wood-shed was his nest, +and no matter how far away he roamed during the daytime, night always +found him back at the house, begging for milk, and taking caresses at +the farmer's hands. +</P> + +<P> +These good people had been so large a part of his helpless days that he +could not leave them now, although the deep green depths of the woods +were probably calling to him, as this was his natural home. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap05"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER V +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +A ROLLICKING ROGUE +</H3> + +<P> +About Thanksgiving time Black Bruin suddenly disappeared, and although +the premises were searched, no trace of him could be found. +</P> + +<P> +Finally, after two or three days, his master gave up the hunt, +concluding that the bear had obeyed the wild instinct in his nature and +returned to the woods. He had no doubt that he was snugly curled up in +some hollow tree where he would sleep away the winter months. Whether +he would ever return to them or not, was a matter of conjecture. +</P> + +<P> +All the family mourned his loss, especially the baby, who cried half a +day for "Bar-Bar," as he called the bear. +</P> + +<P> +One cold December evening when the farmer was bedding down the horse, +he imagined he heard a deep, steady breathing under the barn floor, and +after listening for some time, was sure of it. His first thought was +that some neighbor's dog had gone under the barn to sleep, so he went +and lifted up a trap-door that led to the cellar, which was not deep. +</P> + +<P> +He whistled for the dog to come out, but no dog appeared. He could +still hear the breathing and was much mystified by it, so he got a +lantern and went under the barn to settle his doubts. +</P> + +<P> +To his great astonishment he found Black Bruin curled up in one corner, +nearly covered with old hay that he had scraped together for the +purpose. +</P> + +<P> +He was very sleepy, and only grunted when the man touched him with his +foot and spoke to him. As he seemed well content with the winter +quarters that he had selected, the man left him and went back to his +chores. +</P> + +<P> +Not until the middle of March did he again appear, although different +members of the family often went to the trap-door and called for him to +come out. He seemed to be obeying a strongly rooted habit in the bear +nature, and he doubtless knew what was best for a sturdy cub like +himself. +</P> + +<P> +One warm March morning the mistress thought she heard some one in the +back room, and supposing that a neighbor had come in, opened the door. +</P> + +<P> +The intruder was no stranger to the family, for there was Black Bruin, +standing on his hind legs, licking off the sticky outside of a +maple-syrup pail. He had remembered his old delight in syrup. +</P> + +<P> +Perhaps he had even got a whiff of the sweet on the spring air, and his +nose had told him what was going on. The bear's scent is very keen, +and this and his acute hearing make up for his poor eyesight. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin, on his reappearance, was at once taken back into the +family's affection, and petted and spoiled, all of which seemed to suit +him admirably. +</P> + +<P> +For a week or two, however, he would eat very little, and appeared to +come to his appetite gradually. At first the good people thought he +was sick, but an old woodsman explained to them that the bear was +always fastidious after hibernation. In the wild state he will eat +only buds and grasses, and perhaps a very few roots. He is wise, after +the way of the wild beasts, and knows that his digestive organs are not +in condition to do hard work; but when the right hour comes, he will +have a meal that will make up for much fasting. +</P> + +<P> +The roguishness and capacity for mischief that Black Bruin had shown +during his first year of cubhood, increased tenfold, as he grew older +and stronger. +</P> + +<P> +Tree-climbing, which he had learned late in the summer of his first +year, became a passion with him. He climbed the elms and the maples +along the road and the fruit trees in the orchard. In the barn, too, +he clambered about on the scaffolds and pried into all the corners with +his inquisitive nose. +</P> + +<P> +A neighbor's boy often came to the farmhouse to romp and wrestle with +the bear-cub. Nothing pleased him more than a rough-and-tumble, and he +was quite an expert wrestler, once he learned how to floor his +adversary. +</P> + +<P> +Whenever two or three boys came into the farmyard, if Black Bruin was +anywhere about, he would shuffle up to them and rearing upon his hind +legs, invite them, in the plainest language, "to come on." +</P> + +<P> +His master also taught him to hold a broom in his arms in imitation of +a gun, and march up and down like a soldier. When this feat was +performed by their shaggy friend, the children would shout with +delight, at which the cub would loll out his tongue and seem greatly +pleased. He appeared to understand clearly that they thought him the +smartest bear in the world. +</P> + +<P> +His old trick of hunting for hens' nests now recurred to him, and he +returned to it with renewed zest. In fact, Black Bruin seemed not to +forget any of his many forms of mischief, but rapidly acquired new ones +as well. +</P> + +<P> +He not only hunted hens' nests outside, but frequently broke into the +hen-house, just like any other chicken thief, and ate eggs freely. +</P> + +<P> +He always skulked into a corner when caught and seemed to expect the +thrashing that he got for such thieving. +</P> + +<P> +He followed the farm-hands into the hay-field, as he had done the year +before, to look for bumblebees' nests, but he was not content with +lawful plunder. +</P> + +<P> +One day the haymakers took their dinner to a distant field where they +expected to spend the day. All went well until the dinner-hour came, +when it was discovered that Black Bruin had tipped over the coffee jug, +pulled out the cork, and probably licked up the sweetened fluid. He +had also opened the dinner-basket, and only a few crumbs and some +pickles remained of what would have been dinner for three men. +</P> + +<P> +To add insult to injury, the vagabond was lying asleep upon the +farmer's coat which he had thrown upon the ground, having a fine nap +after his hearty meal. +</P> + +<P> +There was nothing to do but for all hands to go back to the farmhouse +for dinner. +</P> + +<P> +The farmer had surrounded his beehives with a strong, high, barbed wire +fence, and had thought them quite safe even from the prying curiosity +of his bear-cub, but one day he found out differently. +</P> + +<P> +On hearing a great humming about the hives, as though the bees were +swarming, he went to investigate. There in the midst of the hives was +the old honey thief. He had dug a hole in the ground and had crawled +under the barbed wire fence. Two of the hives were overturned and +pulled to pieces, and the contents of half a dozen sections licked out. +</P> + +<P> +This was almost too much to bear, but the good-natured farmer dug a +trench under the fence, and placed another barbed wire lower down, and +the bees were safe for a time. +</P> + +<P> +Sweet apples and pears were also to Black Bruin's liking. This was all +right in itself, but it led to other things. +</P> + +<P> +One summer morning while the farmer was milking, he was startled by +hearing apples coming down in showers from the Golden Sweet tree back +of the barn. Thinking that some mischievous boy had climbed the tree +and was shaking off apples for sport, he rushed into the back yard, +determined to punish the offender severely. +</P> + +<P> +"Here, you rascal," he shouted as he neared the tree, "what in the +world are you trying to do?" +</P> + +<P> +The shaking in the tree ceased immediately, but at first the man could +not locate the truant. Finally he discovered Black Bruin away up in +the top of the tree, where he was well screened by the thick foliage. +</P> + +<P> +"Come down here," cried the farmer in considerable wrath. "Come down +here and I'll give you a good drubbing." +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin clearly understood from the man's tone that he was angry, +so he stayed where he was. +</P> + +<P> +The man then threw apples at him, but they had no more effect upon the +culprit than did the grass upon the bad boy in the fable; so the farmer +got a long pole and prodded the apple thief until he whined and came +scratching down the tree. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin was very fond of the Golden Sweets, especially when they +were baked, and probably thinking that there were not enough on the +ground for family use, he had taken matters into his own hands. He +seemed very penitent, however, so the family finally forgave him, as +they had done so many times before. +</P> + +<P> +When the following week he tried the same tactics upon a winter +pear-tree, the consequences were more serious. Black Bruin not only +got a good drubbing for the prank, but his master secured a dog-collar +and chained him to a maple-tree in the yard. +</P> + +<P> +For a while he pulled and sulked, but finally, seeing that it was +useless, he yielded to the chain. He would beg so hard, though, to be +let loose whenever any one went through the yard, that he was always +allowed to be unchained and go free, when the family were about and +could watch him. +</P> + +<P> +Once the chain and collar, together with the bear's uneasiness, nearly +cost the cub's life. He would climb up the tree to which he was tied +as far as the chain would allow him to go, and, while playing various +antics on the lower limbs of the tree, he fell. The chain was on one +side of the limb and he was on the other, where he dangled like a +culprit on the gallows. +</P> + +<P> +He kicked and choked and tried desperately to catch the limb with his +fore-paws, but it was just out of reach and there seemed nothing for +him to do but strangle. +</P> + +<P> +The tighter the collar grew and the shorter became his breath the more +he kicked and thrashed, until finally the collar broke, and the +half-strangled bear fell to the ground with a great thud. Feeling that +he had been cruelly treated and insulted, he picked himself up with a +groan and a growl, and making for the woods, was not seen again for two +days. +</P> + +<P> +Finally Black Bruin returned to his friends, having had enough of wild +life for that time. He seemed delighted to see them again and wanted +to be petted more than ever, and, as if to make amends for his recent +bad behavior, was very good for a couple of weeks. +</P> + +<P> +One day the farmer took a super of honey from one of the hives in the +back yard, and, as a sort of reward of merit, gave Black Bruin a pound +for his share. +</P> + +<P> +This was an imprudent act upon the part of the bear's master, for honey +to the bear is what whisky is to the drunkard. Not that it intoxicated +him, but he craved it with an almost insatiate desire. +</P> + +<P> +This pound was but a taste, so he fell to watching the hives again and +perhaps plotting as to how he might get at their contents. But the +hives seemed quite safe. They were surrounded by a barbed wire fence +six feet high. They were located under a broad spreading apple-tree, +however, and this fact gave Black Bruin his chance. +</P> + +<P> +He waited until the farmer had gone to a distant field to work, then +climbed into the tree, and out on a long limb that overhung the hives. +</P> + +<P> +The limb bent lower and lower until it nearly touched the barbed wire +fence, but it was just strong enough for him to make the spring and +land in the midst of the hives. +</P> + +<P> +The good housewife heard the humming and buzzing as the bees swarmed +out to punish the intruder, and looking out of the back window, +discovered the thief. +</P> + +<P> +Not much damage had been done, as he had been detected almost at the +outset; but one thing was now certain; the hives would not be safe from +Black Bruin any longer. +</P> + +<P> +So the farmer repaired the broken collar and again secured the bear to +the maple, and once more he took up the life of a convict. +</P> + +<P> +But it must not be imagined that Black Bruin led a very lonely life +even upon the chain, for the children frequently took him berrying, or +to the deep woods for nuts. +</P> + +<P> +When the apples had been picked and most of the honey taken from the +hives, he was again given the freedom of the place to come and go as he +wished. +</P> + +<P> +But the very worst of all Black Bruin's mischief and thieving came +about the second week in November, when he had been upon his good +behavior for several weeks, and the family hoped that he had reformed. +</P> + +<P> +One night the household was awakened by the most violent and persistent +squealing of a pig. It did not seem to be any of the pigs at the farm, +but the sound came from down the road and it steadily drew nearer to +the buildings. +</P> + +<P> +What it all meant the farmer could not imagine, so he hurriedly dressed +and went out-of-doors to find out. +</P> + +<P> +He was just in time to see Black Bruin come shambling into the yard +carrying a pig, of perhaps twelve pounds' weight, in his mouth. He was +holding him by one hind leg and the load was so heavy that the culprit +could barely keep the poor pig's nose from dragging on the ground. +</P> + +<P> +The farmer at once went to his assistance and rescued him, to the great +disgust of Black Bruin, who growled and plainly gave his master to +understand that he considered the pig his own property. He had not got +him out of the home sty, so that his master had no right to interfere. +</P> + +<P> +Again Black Bruin paid the penalty for misbehavior and was chained up, +while next morning, the farmer had the humiliation of carrying the pig +home. +</P> + +<P> +After about a week more of life upon the chain, the culprit slipped his +collar and disappeared. This time the farmer remembered his +disappearance of the fall before and finally looked under the barn, +where he found him curled up for his winter's sleep. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap06"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VI +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE LIFE OF A DANCING-BEAR +</H3> + +<P> +About the first of April, the third year of his adventurous life, a +sense of something that he craved was borne in upon the deep slumber of +Black Bruin, or perhaps it was only the returning warmth that awakened +him. +</P> + +<P> +In either event he awoke, yawned, stretched himself and turned about in +his nest under the horse-barn. He felt stiff and cramped, as one had a +right to, who had been sleeping since about Thanksgiving time. +</P> + +<P> +Finally he got up, and going to a crack in the cellar wall, sniffed the +breeze, which came in quite freely. This was always his way when he +wanted to find out what was going on. His nose was a much surer guide +in most matters than his eyesight. +</P> + +<P> +What the fresh spring wind told him was evidently to his liking, for +his tongue lolled out, his mouth dripped saliva, and he went at once to +the trap-door leading upstairs, and pushed it open with his shoulder. +</P> + +<P> +In the cozy farmhouse kitchen, an event that fills the heart of the +average country boy or girl with delight, was in progress. +</P> + +<P> +Upon the kitchen range was placed a large galvanized iron syrup-pan. +In it was three or four inches of golden maple syrup, which danced and +steamed and broke in little mountains of yellow bubbles, something the +color of sunlight. +</P> + +<P> +This was the amber toll from the rock-maple, discovered long ago by the +Indian, whose primitive methods have been so greatly improved upon by +the white man. But there are still very remote places in Canada, where +the old-fashioned slash in the tree, into which a wedge is driven, has +not been superseded by spiles and buckets. +</P> + +<P> +Several of the neighborhood children were gathered at the farmhouse +kitchen and jollity ran high. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly the door leading to the wood-shed flew open, and there in the +doorway stood Black Bruin. With a shout of delight they rushed upon +him, eager to greet and caress their wilderness pet. +</P> + +<P> +For a week or two, as usual when coming forth from his long sleep, +Black Bruin was rather inactive, and did not want much to eat; but by +degrees his spirits returned, and it was evident from the size and +strength now acquired, that he was to be more of a rogue and bother +than he had ever been before. +</P> + +<P> +But even his warmest admirers, the neighborhood children, who always +took his part, no matter what he did, were not prepared for his next +antic. +</P> + +<P> +Of course it was impossible for his friends, who had not been sleeping +and going without food for several months, to say just how hungry the +culprit was, or how strong the blood lust was upon him. +</P> + +<P> +There had been pig-killing at the farmhouse, and the bear had eaten +some of the refuse meat. This had only whetted his appetite for more, +so he did some pig-killing on his own account. +</P> + +<P> +One morning a neighboring farmer, very much excited, rushed into the +yard and accused Black Bruin of stealing a small pig that morning from +his sty. Although the family protested stoutly that he must be +mistaken, a search of the premises showed that their pet was missing. +</P> + +<P> +The bear's master thought best to settle for the pig, but even then the +neighbor was much put out, and promised to try the effect of a rifle +upon the thief the next time he should appear. +</P> + +<P> +The marauder did not return to the farmhouse all that day, but came +slinking home late in the evening and went at once to his den in the +wood-shed. Again he was chained to the maple in the front yard, and +forced to live the life of a prisoner. But he was now getting so +strong that any ordinary collar would not hold, and he soon broke away +and again went upon a foraging expedition. This time his choice was +mutton, and his master had to pay for a pet sheep that he had taken +from a neighbor's back yard. +</P> + +<P> +This was getting serious, and the bear's master was thinking of +corresponding with the keeper of a zoo or menagerie, to see if he could +give his troublesome pet away, when Pedro Alsandro appeared upon the +scene, and the whole tenor of Black Bruin's life was changed. +</P> + +<P> +Pedro was an Italian peddler, carrying two large packs. He was a small +man with a swarthy olive-colored skin, and dark beady eyes, set rather +too close together. +</P> + +<P> +He appeared one warm April morning, and in the usual lingo of his kind, +invited the good people at the farmhouse to "buy something." +</P> + +<P> +When his pack had been overhauled and a few small purchases concluded, +the peddler noticed Black Bruin, and he at once took his fancy. His +greed was also appealed to by seeing the bear perform his tricks. +Pedro had once owned a dancing-bear, but it had run away from him to +escape harsh treatment. +</P> + +<P> +"Why should I lug these heavy packs about," he thought, "when I could +make twice the money, merely by leading this bear from town to town?" +</P> + +<P> +So the Italian set to work to gain the confidence of the bear and as he +had had considerable experience with his kind, it was not long before +he had petted and bribed his way into Black Bruin's good-will. +</P> + +<P> +"You buy someting me, I buy someting, this bear," he finally said to +the farmer. +</P> + +<P> +This proposition was greeted by some neighbors' children with a chorus +of wails and the housewife too objected, but to the farmer, who was +much perplexed to know what to do with the bear, it seemed like quite a +Providential opening. +</P> + +<P> +"What you do with him, Pedro?" he asked, for he was as much attached to +the rogue as he would have been to a dog that he had raised from +puppyhood. +</P> + +<P> +"I make heem one fine dancing-bear," replied Pedro, "I teach heem lots +treeks. He jes walk long, eat lots, sleep lots, have good time." +</P> + +<P> +"Will you be good to him, Pedro?" asked the housewife, for she hated to +think of the bear's having any but considerate treatment. +</P> + +<P> +"Y-e-a-r-r—lady," replied Pedro. "I feed heem much sugar, much peanut +and much banan. He good bar, I keep heem careful and good." +</P> + +<P> +So Pedro finally left a part of the contents of one of his packs in +exchange for the bear, and went upon his way with a lighter pack. In +one hand he held a stout rope, the other end of which was fastened in +Black Bruin's collar. +</P> + +<P> +The poor bear continually looked back and whined as they went down the +road, but Pedro coaxed and bribed him with sugar, that he had brought +along for the purpose, until he was out of sight of the house. +</P> + +<P> +Once beyond the reach of interference upon the part of his recent +master, the Italian cut a stout heavy stick and sharpened one end, and +with that as a goad, he drove the bear relentlessly before him. +Instead of coaxing there were henceforth sharp thrusts with the point +of the stick and savage blows upon the head. +</P> + +<P> +At first Black Bruin was furious at such treatment, for had he not been +spoiled and petted all his life? He soon saw, however, that this man +was a new and terrible creature to be obeyed instantly, and one whose +wrath it was not well to provoke by pulling back or sulking. +</P> + +<P> +For several hours they journeyed on in this manner, until a small +village was reached. Here the peddler disposed of the remaining goods +in his two packs at a country store, and went into business as the +keeper of a dancing-bear. +</P> + +<P> +That night the two slept in an old barn, curled down in the hay, and +nestled closely together for warmth. +</P> + +<P> +When his deep breathing told the bear that his new master was sleeping +soundly, he crawled carefully out of their nest and tried to slip away. +But with a start Pedro awoke and pulled savagely upon his collar, while +with his stick he prodded him back into his nest. +</P> + +<P> +Truly this was a strange and terrible creature into whose hands he had +fallen. He knew what was going on when he was asleep, as well as when +he was awake. There would be no escape from him. The poor brute did +not appreciate the fact that the Italian had tied the loose end of the +rope about his wrist, so that the slightest tug upon it would awaken +him. +</P> + +<P> +The following morning, Black Bruin began his labors as bread-winner for +both. At the first farmhouse they came to, Pedro stopped and in his +broken English, offered to entertain the good country people with his +bear in return for breakfast for both man and beast. +</P> + +<P> +The offer was promptly accepted and Pedro's companion was made to +shoulder his make-believe gun and march up and down. Then he was given +an egg to suck, and he carefully nicked a little piece in one end, and +licked out the delicious contents. This was the trick that he liked +best of all. +</P> + +<P> +Finally he got down on all fours and was horse for three children for +several minutes. They would sit astride his back, with their small +hands tightly clasping the bear's long, glossy hair, while Pedro slowly +led him up and down. +</P> + +<P> +At last the breakfast was set before them and the poor bear, who had +done all the work, was glad of his share of hot biscuit and maple syrup. +</P> + +<P> +When they were upon the road again, Pedro began teaching the bear new +tricks, for the few that he already knew were not enough to satisfy his +new master, who thought he saw considerable money in him. +</P> + +<P> +Whenever they came to a tree that was suitable for climbing, he would +lead Black Bruin up to it, and shout "climb," at the same time +thrusting his pointed stick viciously into the bear's hinder parts. +</P> + +<P> +At first, the bear remonstrated and growled, but he got such a drubbing +and jabbing that he went whining up the tree, and when he would not +come down Pedro threw stones at him, until he was glad to escape the +missiles by obeying. +</P> + +<P> +Much practice of this trick soon made the bear a great tree-climber, +and he would scratch up the tree at his best pace, at the slightest +sign from the Italian. +</P> + +<P> +Next Pedro bought a bottle of ginger pop, which he sweetened +considerably to make it even more palatable for the bear, and then +slowly turned out a part of the contents for him to lick up. When this +had been done, he put in the cork very slightly and held it up for the +bear to lick. Of course the cork soon came out and more of the +contents was spilled for the bear to drink. In this way by degrees he +taught the brute that the cork must first come out and then there was +sweet within. +</P> + +<P> +When the trick was finally mastered, the bear would stand upon his hind +legs, take a bottle of ginger pop from a man's hand, hold it between +his paws, pull out the cork with his teeth, and deliberately drink the +contents. +</P> + +<P> +The performance of this trick got Pedro and the bear all the soda water +and small drinks that they cared for at the country stores and hotels. +Occasionally Pedro would push the cork in very tight to tease the +performer, who would sometimes growl and box the bottle with his paw, +to the great delight of the children. +</P> + +<P> +At first the bear did not like beer, but he soon learned, and would +drink it down the same as any toper. +</P> + +<P> +Peanuts, pop-corn, corn-cake and candy he also learned to like, and his +manner of eating these delicacies always amused the children. +</P> + +<P> +Sometimes when he had been doing tricks in a village for hours he would +get very tired and lie down and sulk, when Pedro would beat and prod +him cruelly. +</P> + +<P> +If the passers-by remonstrated with the Italian for treating his good +bear in this manner, Pedro would make the excuse for cruelty so often +heard in Italy, where very little consideration is shown animals. +</P> + +<P> +"Huh, lady," he would say, "he no Christian, he just brute. Pedro, +Christian, bear, brute, devil." +</P> + +<P> +Whenever Pedro and his companion entered a village, they were always +followed by an admiring crowd of children. As many as could, would +climb upon Black Bruin's back, and ride in triumph through the street, +while dozens, who were less fortunate, followed behind, shouting +approval. +</P> + +<P> +Although it was quite a hardship for the bear to carry such a load, yet +the petting of the children was a great pleasure to him in these days +of tribulation. It reminded him of the children at the farmhouse where +every one had been so good to him. For, brute that he was, he was +still amenable to kindness, and brutalized by brutality. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap07"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE VAGABONDS +</H3> + +<P> +Pedro and Black Bruin were vagabonds, going up and down the country as +the spirit moved them, living like two tramps without home, shelter or +friends, save as they made them by the way. +</P> + +<P> +Some nights they slept in haystacks, or in old barns. Sometimes they +crawled into wagon sheds and slept upon loads of grain or produce that +had been gotten ready for the morrow's marketing. More frequently they +bivouacked in the open, under the blue canopy of heaven, merely +sheltered a little by a friendly spruce or pine, with the silver moon +for a lamp, and the bright stars for candles. The great shaggy beast +and the little dark man slept in one bed, as it were. Pedro usually +pillowed his head upon Black Bruin and so the bear had to lie very +still and not disturb his master, for he got a pounding if he did. +</P> + +<P> +Out here in the open all the night sounds came to them with startling +distinctness;—the cry of the nighthawk and the chirping of a cricket, +the peeping of hylas and the croaking of frogs and the wild, tremulous, +mournful cry of the screech-owl. +</P> + +<P> +The night winds blew upon their faces and the fragrance of the +dew-laden flowers was in their nostrils. Theirs was not a cramped, +stifling existence, but a full free life, and the sense of living, +breathing, growing things was everywhere, and it made them glad. +</P> + +<P> +The tan of wind and sun was upon Pedro's skin, making it even more +swarthy. +</P> + +<P> +In the morning, when the first faint gray streak lit the east, and +robins and thrushes began to sing, they were up and ready for the day's +work. Their toilet was very simple,—merely a wash and a drink of +water from some neighboring brook, then they were ready for the road. +</P> + +<P> +This was just the hour to find all the thrifty farmers' families at +breakfast and it was much easier to get something for themselves when +the table was spread for others. So Black Bruin danced and went +through all his tricks, to the great delight of the children, that both +he and Pedro might share the farmer's hospitality later. +</P> + +<P> +When they were unlucky and had to go without breakfast, Pedro blamed +his shaggy companion and swore at him in broken English, or showered +blows upon him with the stout stick which he always carried. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin soon learned to expect the blows and to cower from them and +sometimes even whimper, when his master was unusually harsh; but in his +heart, which was that of a wild beast, he was storing up wrath. +</P> + +<P> +But there was something about the Italian that held him at bay as +though with chains of steel. When Pedro's small glittering eyes were +upon him, his own eyes fell. A kick would send him groveling to earth. +In some unexplainable way he felt that this cruel creature was his +master. He was subdued and held by a terrible grip. +</P> + +<P> +To the bear the man was always a mystery. There was something fearful +about him that he could not fathom and his source of strength the poor +beast could not understand. +</P> + +<P> +There was also an evil-smelling dark bottle in the Italian's inside +coat-pocket, which was an enigma. It was not ginger pop or beer, or +any kind of soda water; Black Bruin knew all of these drinks himself, +and this drink was like none of them. +</P> + +<P> +One day Pedro had fallen into a strange deep sleep and the bottle had +slipped from his pocket. The bear had at once noticed it, picked it up +and pulled out the cork, just as he would have done with a ginger pop +bottle, and had taken a small swallow. But the strange stuff had +burned his tongue and choked him. So he spat it out and broke the +bottle with a single blow of his powerful paw. He finally licked up +considerable of the whisky, as it was a hot day and he was thirsty. It +had made him sleepy, so man and beast had lain down together in a +drunken stupor. +</P> + +<P> +After this day Black Bruin hated the bottle, out of which Pedro drank +so frequently. They were also unlucky in getting meals when his master +did this, for the simple country folk did not like to lodge or feed +them when the dark, sinister-looking man was half drunk. So in many +ways the bottle brought them ill-luck. +</P> + +<P> +When Black Bruin and his companion began their wanderings from town to +town, it was early spring-time. The buds were just beginning to redden +upon the sugar-maple and the grass along sunny southern slopes, was +putting on its first faint touch of green. The days were warm and +sunny, promising buds and blossoms, but the nights were still clear and +cold. +</P> + +<P> +At first they had to lie close together at night for warmth, or rather +the man had to cuddle down close to his shaggy warm companion; but +spring soon passed and summer came and the two wanderers reveled in the +lavish beauty and richness of nature. +</P> + +<P> +In many of the pastures blueberries grew in profusion and Black Bruin +needed no teaching to get his share of the palatable fruit. Along all +the country roads, growing upon the stone walls and fences, were +delicious red raspberries, which are much finer flavored than the +cultivated kinds. Later on, when August laid her golden treasures in +the lap of Mother Earth, the blackberries ripened in wild profusion. +First in the open pasture came the low bushberries, and then the high +bushberries along the edge of the forest. +</P> + +<P> +Last of all came autumn with its treasures of harvest, fruits, nuts, +melons and grains. +</P> + +<P> +Wild grapes they found in abundance and all the nut-bearing trees +rattled down their treasures for them. The melon-patch, the pound +sweeting tree, the peach-orchard and the turnip-field all paid toll to +the vagabonds. So, in spite of harsh treatment and hard work, Black +Bruin laid on his usual layers of fat, against the long sleep of the +coming winter. +</P> + +<P> +What wonderful days these were when they wandered lazily from village +to village, through long stretches of flaming red and golden forest, +where the roadway was spread with a most gorgeous leaf-carpet. +</P> + +<P> +They heard the jay squalling in the corn-field, and the crows gathering +in the clan for their annual caucus. The squirrels chattered in the +trees above them, but their old friends, the song-birds, had nearly all +flown away to the South to escape the oncoming winter. +</P> + +<P> +When Jack Frost and the merry north winds had robbed the trees of the +last of their foliage and they stood out grim and gaunt against the +bleak November sky; when the last purple asters and the hardiest bright +goldenrod had faded, Black Bruin felt the old winter drowsiness slowly +stealing upon him. +</P> + +<P> +At last the first snow-storm came and that settled it in both the minds +of Pedro and the bear. So the Italian led his companion far up into a +wilderness region, and after searching about for half a day among the +ledges found a natural cave which was about the size of a small room, +and here left Black Bruin to sleep away the winter months. +</P> + +<P> +He stayed in the region just long enough to make sure that the winter +drowsiness had clutched him and also took the precaution to roll +against the entrance of the cave, a large stone, which he had to move +with a lever, that he might be sure of finding his partner in +Vagabondia when he returned for him in the early spring. Pedro would +take the precaution to come back a few days before the bear would +naturally awaken. +</P> + +<P> +A day or two after Black Bruin was left alone in his cavern a heavy +storm set in, and before it ceased, a foot of snow had fallen. +</P> + +<P> +It was now so deep that the passer-by would never have guessed that a +bear was soundly sleeping a few feet back of the boulder which Pedro +had placed at the entrance of the cave. This now merely looked like a +white snowdrift that some freak of the wind had piled upon the +mountainside. +</P> + +<P> +In the dark and the silence of his underground room Black Bruin slept +through the winter blizzards and cold as well as he would have done in +warmer and more comfortable quarters. No sound broke the silence of +his cave save his own deep breathing. If the sun shone, or the winds +howled, or the storms beat, he knew it not. +</P> + +<P> +Perhaps in dreamland he still wandered up and down the country picking +blueberries or poking under the dead leaves for nuts, and always and +forever doing tricks until his legs and back ached. +</P> + +<P> +As for Pedro, he had no idea of hibernating, so he went away to a +distant city and worked for a fellow countryman in a fruit store. +</P> + +<P> +But work was not to his liking and he longed for spring to come that he +and his companion might again be upon the road living the old free life. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap08"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VIII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE BEAST AND THE MAN +</H3> + +<P> +A sense of pain and annoyance penetrated the deep sleep of Black Bruin, +and with a growl and a start he awoke. When he had fallen asleep his +mountain cavern had been quite dark. It had always been dark when he +awoke and stretched himself, but now the full glory of daylight was +streaming in. +</P> + +<P> +There before him, dark, sinister and forbidding as ever, stood Pedro, +and in his hand was the sharpened stick with which he had been prodding +him, causing him to awaken. +</P> + +<P> +As Black Bruin arose in response to his blows, he shook himself, and +stretched first one cramped leg and then another, which were stiff +after his long sleep. Pedro could not help but notice how he had grown +and what a great brute he was getting to be. +</P> + +<P> +"Holy saints," he ejaculated, "but he is one pig deevil-bear. I must +club heem and prod heem much, or he eat me. He em one deevil." +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin felt a sense of irritation at the coming of his master and +followed him sullenly as he led the way out of the winter quarters into +the full day. How sweet and fresh was the air and how bright and +beautiful the world. Then, for the first time, there came an almost +overpowering longing for freedom. He had often felt it slightly, but +now it nearly mastered him and he all but broke into open rebellion. +</P> + +<P> +The deep woods were calling to him. The wild free life was his by +right. He was no dog to be led about upon a chain, and to go and come +at the beck of man. He was a wild beast whose home was the wilderness, +and this cruel creature, who tyrannized over him, and prodded him, for +whom he did tricks day after day, had stolen away his freedom. +</P> + +<P> +Of course Black Bruin did not think these thoughts in just this way. +To him they were dim and inexpressible; he only felt a wild rage at +being restrained and made a captive and a hot desire to be off. +</P> + +<P> +So it was with this ill-disguised humor that he followed his master +from town to town and did his tricks. +</P> + +<P> +Pedro, on the other hand, felt that the bear was becoming morose and +that his spirit must be broken, so he prodded and beat him until his +life was almost unbearable. +</P> + +<P> +One evening the two camped near the edge of a spruce woods. Along one +side of the road ran a turbulent stream, which was at the bottom of a +deep gorge. At several points one could look down from fifty to one +hundred feet to the water, foaming and lashing and rushing upon its +way. For a part of the distance the bank was almost perpendicular, and +here the passer-by was protected from falling into the abyss by a +railing that was spiked to posts or convenient trees. +</P> + +<P> +To-night, Pedro was sleeping soundly, his head pillowed upon his great +coat, that he carried in the spring and fall against inclement weather. +He no longer pillowed his head upon Black Bruin, who was chained to a +near-by tree. The beast now also wore a muzzle and this was one more +grievance which he nourished in his heart against the time of vengeance. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin was not asleep, but was watching first his master and then +the flickering light of their camp-fire. As he watched and pondered, +the tyranny of his chain and muzzle grew upon him. The muzzle galled +his nose and the chain was a continual reminder of his slavery. Pedro +had prodded and clubbed him this spring until his body was sore. He no +longer had the slightest spark of affection for the man, but instead a +fearful hate that burned in his breast like living coals. +</P> + +<P> +The sound of Pedro's deep breathing also filled him with a terrible +rage. It seemed as if he could feel all the prods that he had received +from the stick at once, and each stung him with a new pain. His breath +came thick and hot and his eyes glowed with all the deep intensity of +hate;—hate, that had long smouldered, fed with continual fuel, but +always kept in check, only at last to break out in a conflagration, +sweeping all before it. +</P> + +<P> +At length raging, yet fearful, Black Bruin backed away to the full +length of his chain and began straining upon it with all his might. It +choked him until he could no longer breathe. Then he stopped for a +moment to recover his breath, and went at the chain again. +</P> + +<P> +For half an hour he tugged and strained, choking and gagging until at +last the ring in his collar pulled out and he was free from the chain. +But he was not free as long as that sleeping demon by the fire still +had strength to pursue and recapture him. He never would be free until +he had killed him. +</P> + +<P> +Next he lay down and began tugging at his muzzle. That too choked him +as he pulled upon it, and he nearly strangled in the process of +wrenching it off, but finally the hated thing lay upon the ground, with +the strong wires bent and the strap broken. +</P> + +<P> +Then Black Bruin crept forward to within three or four feet of where +Pedro lay heavily sleeping, and stood there, watching his master. He +felt sure that with one blow of his paw he could cripple him, but he +could not bring himself to strike that blow. The man might have some +new and terrible hidden power that he knew not of. He had seen him do +strange things and there might be still others that he had not yet +tried. Could he not make fire out of sticks that really had no warmth +in them? There was something fearful about a creature who could do +such things. +</P> + +<P> +But one thing was certain;—Pedro would not strike him again. The +growing rage in his brute breast made that impossible. +</P> + +<P> +If he would only move and get up and reach for his stick, then the poor +enthralled brute might act. This would be a match to the powder. +</P> + +<P> +At last Pedro stirred uneasily in his sleep and groaned, and with all +the stealth of a wild beast Black Bruin drew nearer to him. He could +see drops of sweat upon the man's brow and a tremor shook his body. +Was this terrible demon really afraid? If so, Black Bruin himself +would no longer be afraid, so he drew still nearer and stood over his +master. +</P> + +<P> +Then with a yell of terror that echoed through the cavernous woods, +Pedro sprang to his feet, while his hand reached for the stiletto that +he always carried. But quick as he was, he was not as quick as the +bear, for, with a motion like lightning and a grip like steel, Black +Bruin pinioned his arms to his sides and held him as though in the grip +of Vulcan. +</P> + +<P> +"Heii, yii-here, you brute deevil. You let me go I keel you," shrieked +Pedro. But the words, that would have made the bear cringe and skulk a +few hours before, held no terror for him. He was master now, and this +man who had clubbed and prodded, sworn at, and outraged him, was a +pigmy in his arms. His powerful jaw too was close to the man's neck. +One crunch would make him lifeless. +</P> + +<P> +Then Pedro, with more ferocity than judgment, began kicking, hoping to +frighten the bear, who had always skulked at his slightest word. But +the growl of rage with which Black Bruin greeted this move fairly froze +the blood in Pedro's veins, especially when he felt the great brute +half open his jaws as though to bite through his neck. +</P> + +<P> +Then Pedro became wise and sought by kind words to persuade the bear +into releasing him. +</P> + +<P> +"Gude Freetzie, gude beastie. Don't, Freetzie, don't." +</P> + +<P> +But those platitudes were received as uncompromisingly by Black Bruin +as were the kicks. He evidently would have no parleying of any sort. +The man had been weighed in the balance and found entirely wanting. +</P> + +<P> +There was still one very slight hope left, however. If Pedro could +only reach his stiletto, even with his hands pinioned to his sides, he +might be able to plunge it into the brute's side down low and inflict a +wound that would cause the bear to loose his hold for a second, when he +might wrench himself free and deliver a second fatal thrust. +</P> + +<P> +The stiletto was in a sheath and Pedro could just reach the point. His +only hope was to work it loose, then with a quick motion jump it out, +and catch it as it fell. It was a desperate chance, but all that was +left to him. +</P> + +<P> +His slightest movement brought blood-curdling growls from Black Bruin, +who evidently did not intend to take any chances with him. +</P> + +<P> +At the same instant that Pedro began reaching for his stiletto, Black +Bruin started marching him up the road into the woods. Where he was +taking him and what new horror awaited him the Italian could not +imagine. +</P> + +<P> +Inch by inch he carefully worked the stiletto higher and higher in the +sheath. Then with a quick upward motion of his hand, he jumped it +clear of the leather and clutched for the handle as it fell. But his +fingers barely glazed the steel, the weapon fell to the earth, and his +last hope was gone. +</P> + +<P> +About fifty feet down the road, Black Bruin wheeled his captive sharply +to the right and taking a few steps in that direction, they stood upon +the brink of the precipice, at the bottom of which was the foaming, +dashing, turbulent stream. +</P> + +<P> +As though to make the horror of the situation even more intense, the +moon which had been under a cloud, came out and shone peacefully into +the yawning depths. In the silver moonlight the white foam on the +water looked as soft as wool; but Pedro knew that beneath the froth and +foam were the jagged and hungry rocks that made it. +</P> + +<P> +There they remained for the space of ten seconds, the dark, cruel, +sinister little man, held in the inexorable grip of the great shaggy +beast. Each second the crushing arms of the bear tightened and the +man's breath came in gasps and sobs. His tongue protruded from his +mouth, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets with fear and pain. +Blood dripped from his nose and his ribs creaked as the infuriated +beast slowly crushed him. +</P> + +<P> +When the figure of his tormentor no longer struggled in his arms, Black +Bruin opened his powerful jaws and with a single bite crushed the +vertebras of the neck. Then, with a grunt of deep satisfaction, he +lifted the limp figure in his arms as high as he could, and flung it +into the yawning chasm below. +</P> + +<P> +He peered over the railing and saw it strike upon the rocks beneath, +hang for a moment uncertain and disappear in the dark eddy. +</P> + +<P> +Then he dropped on all fours and hurried back to camp, where he +demolished everything of Pedro's meagre outfit, not forgetting to tear +his coat to shreds. This done to his evident satisfaction, he obeyed +the call from the deep woods, that had been so insistent in his ear all +that spring and summer, and shuffled away into the gloom. +</P> + +<P> +The dark plumes of fir and pines sighed, "Come," and the night wind +whispered, "Come," and the rustling fronds and grasses said, "Come." +All nature welcomed the exile to this, his native wilderness. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap09"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER IX +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +LIFE IN THE WILD +</H3> + +<P> +It was with a wild exultant sense of being free that Black Bruin +shuffled through the underbrush and entered the deep woods on this, his +first night of actual freedom. Some of the native ferocity of his kind +coursed in his veins. Had he not within the hour slain his +tormentor—the inexplicable creature who had tyrannized over him and +bullied and beaten him for more than a year? But mingled with his +triumph was a faint sense of fear that caused him to put many miles +between himself and the deep gorge before he stopped for food or rest. +True, he had seen the limp, lifeless figure fall into the abyss and +then disappear in the dark stream. Still, he might come to life in +some miraculous way and pursue him. +</P> + +<P> +It was under most peculiar circumstances that this alien returned to +his native wilderness;—circumstances that we shall have to consider +briefly to understand why so many mishaps befell him during his first +year of freedom. +</P> + +<P> +From the first moment that the fuzzy little bear-cubs follow their huge +mother from the den into the open world, their lessons of life begin. +These lessons are acquired partly through imitation and also through +design upon the part of the wise old dam. Nearly all small creatures +are imitative, so, as the old bear did only those things that were for +her good, the cubs soon learned by imitation which of the wild +creatures to be upon good terms with and which were to be let alone. +</P> + +<P> +The cubs always stay with their mother for a year, usually denning up +with her the first fall, and only being deserted when the new cubs +come; so it will be seen that this early training and discipline is of +the greatest importance. Knowledge that is not gained in this way is +usually gained by hard knocks. +</P> + +<P> +At last, being winded and tired with his long flight, Black Bruin +crawled into a deep thicket and went to sleep. When he awoke, it was +very early morning, just the time of day that he and Pedro had been in +the habit of starting on the road. +</P> + +<P> +No more road for him, but if Black Bruin could not get his breakfast at +a farm-house, he must seek it elsewhere, for he was fairly ravenous +this balmy summer morning. +</P> + +<P> +He remembered his old grub and ant-hunting habit and was soon busy +turning over flat stones and pulling to pieces old rotten logs, where +there was usually good picking. But it took a great many of these +little crawlers and creepers to satisfy a half-famished bear. +</P> + +<P> +Finally, Black Bruin scented a chipmunk in a small pile of stones, and +hastily began pulling the pile apart to get at the prize. +</P> + +<P> +Poor Chippy, hearing his house tumbling about his head and seeing his +retreat rapidly cut off, burrowed deeper and deeper in the stone-heap, +but finally the monster was almost upon him. When one more stone had +been lifted, he would be at the bear's mercy. So, with a frightened +squeak, Chippy made a break for freedom, hoping to gain a stone wall +that he knew was near by. +</P> + +<P> +Thump, thump, thump, went the heavy paws all about him as he dodged +hither and thither, uttering a quick succession of terrified squeaks. +</P> + +<P> +At last one of the great paws fell fairly upon him and his life was +crushed out, while Black Bruin had the keen satisfaction of feeling +warm blood in his mouth. +</P> + +<P> +This success put new enthusiasm into the hunter and he pulled stones +and logs about for an hour or two in a lively manner. +</P> + +<P> +He did not find any more chipmunks and was about to give up hunting for +that morning and go in search of water, when a small black and white +creature with a bushy tail attracted his attention. It was about the +size of a cat but the body scent was not that of a cat. +</P> + +<P> +Whatever it was, it was small and slow, and could be easily caught and +killed. Whether or not it was good to eat could be determined later, +so the hunter hurried after the small black and white creature that +looked so harmless. +</P> + +<P> +A few quick shuffles carried Black Bruin alongside the quarry and, +within striking distance, his heavy paw went up, but at that moment the +wood pussy arched his back and delivered his own best defense full in +the bear's nose and eyes. +</P> + +<P> +With a loud "ugh," and a grunt and squeal of pain, Black Bruin +retreated into the nearest thicket. +</P> + +<P> +It seemed as though liquid fire had been dashed in his eyes, and of all +the obnoxious smells that ever disgusted his nostrils, this was the +worst. His eyes smarted and burned, and the more he rubbed them the +worse they became. +</P> + +<P> +He was nearly blinded and so had to go groping and stumbling through +the woods to the nearest brook, to which his wild instinct guided him +in some miraculous manner. Here he plunged in his face up to his ears +and was slightly relieved. +</P> + +<P> +For an hour he repeated the operation over and over, plunging his head +under and keeping it there as long as he could hold his breath. +</P> + +<P> +At last the burning, smarting fluid was partly washed from both eyes +and nostrils, and Black Bruin went upon his way a wiser and sorrier +beast. +</P> + +<P> +It was two or three days before the inflammation entirely left his eyes +and his nostrils got back their old sure power of discriminating +between the many scents of the forest. +</P> + +<P> +He had learned his first lesson in the woods, which was that a +well-behaved skunk when taking his morning walk, is not to be disturbed. +</P> + +<P> +After this, whenever Black Bruin even scented a skunk, he kept at a +discreet distance and contented himself with chipmunks and mice. +</P> + +<P> +One morning he surprised a fox eating a rabbit which it had just caught +in a briar-patch, and made such a sudden rush upon Reynard that he fled +in hot haste, leaving the rabbit for the bear. In this way Black Bruin +learned that rabbit was good to eat, even as palatable as squirrel, and +after that he hunted rabbits whenever opportunity offered. +</P> + +<P> +Sometimes he would find a gray rabbit's hole and with much labor dig +the poor rabbit out. More frequently he would watch at the mouth of a +rabbit-burrow, where he had seen a rabbit enter, until bunny +reappeared, sticking his head out cautiously to reconnoitre, when one +swift stroke of the heavy paw bagged the game. +</P> + +<P> +It was one day after having watched for several hours at the mouth of a +rabbit-burrow, that Black Bruin discovered a queer creature, three or +four times the size of a rabbit, walking leisurely along through the +woods, and went in hot pursuit. +</P> + +<P> +By this time, the experience with the skunk had lost its old terror, +and he was again the curious, keen hunter. +</P> + +<P> +Whatever it was, the newcomer did not seem to be much afraid of him, +and that was strange. Most of the wild creatures he knew fled at his +first approach, and it was with difficulty that he got near them; but +this queer animal ambled along as slowly as if he had not the slightest +concern. +</P> + +<P> +He did not look or smell like anything that Black Bruin had ever +observed before. The odd thing about him was that he was covered with +small sharp points sticking out in every direction, which gave him a +very bristling appearance. +</P> + +<P> +As the bear came up, he merely squatted upon the ground and drew +himself into a rotund shape. What a strange creature! Black Bruin +reached his nose closer to get a better whiff of the body scent, and if +possible to discover what the animal was. +</P> + +<P> +Quick as a flash the porcupine's tail struck upward and three of the +longest, sharpest quills in this queer body were firmly planted in the +hunter's nose. +</P> + +<P> +With a growl of pain and rage the bear dealt this strange enemy a +crushing blow. The porcupine's back was broken, but the conqueror +carried off four more quills in his paw. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-162"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-162.jpg" ALT="BLACK BRUIN DEALT THE PORCUPINE A CRUSHING BLOW" BORDER="2" WIDTH="402" HEIGHT="580"> +<H3 CLASS="h3center" STYLE="width: 550px"> +BLACK BRUIN DEALT THE PORCUPINE A CRUSHING BLOW +</H3> +</CENTER> + +<P> +It was not much like a conqueror that he went, for he limped off on +three legs, and sitting down in a thicket, pulled the quills from his +paw as well as he could; but two were broken off and finally worked +through the foot, coming out a day or two later on the upper side. +</P> + +<P> +The paw was so sore that he could not travel on it, and the afflicted +bear either went upon three legs, or kept quiet. +</P> + +<P> +Two of the quills in his lower jaw he got rid of, but one stayed with +him for several days, and finally made its appearance in his cheek, +coming out near the ear. +</P> + +<P> +The experience was a sorry one, and although several days afterward +Black Bruin saw the dead body of the porcupine lying where he had +crushed it, he would not go near it. This creature, like the skunk, +had a peculiar way of fighting which the bear could not understand, so +he would give the next porcupine that he met the entire road if he +wanted it. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin's relations with man had been most peculiar up to the time +of his killing his cruel master and escape into the wild, and they did +not tend to make him wise in regard to this creature, which all normal +wild animals shun as their greatest danger. +</P> + +<P> +He had been brought up in close companionship with men; had slept and +ate with them for the first three or four years of his life. He had +wrestled with the men cubs and had found in it nothing but sheer +delight. Children and their caresses had been his one pleasure during +the strenuous year with Pedro. +</P> + +<P> +Now, suddenly all this relationship toward man was changed. Black +Bruin had gone from the pale of civilization into that of savagery. He +was now a wild beast, feared by men, although without much cause. +</P> + +<P> +Little by little this new relationship between himself and the man +beast was borne in upon Black Bruin. At first, he shunned men and +their way, fearing that some man might capture him and again claim him +for the road. The wild, free life made him glad. To be here to-day +and there to-morrow was to his liking, and he did not intend to live +again upon a chain. +</P> + +<P> +But that Black Bruin's long companionship with men was a disadvantage +to him in his new life was only too apparent, for it led him into +indiscretions, which a normal bear would never have committed. +</P> + +<P> +In his natural state the bear is a very wary animal, always upon the +watch, even when he is feeding; always and forever testing the wind +with both ear and nostril. But with the half-domesticated dancing-bear +it was different. In his own mind he had nothing to fear from men. He +had walked through their villages and along their country roads and +seen them by thousands and tens of thousands. They had never harmed +him, and he had no reason to think they ever would. +</P> + +<P> +One September morning he was digging roots along the edge of the woods. +He had found something quite to his liking and was much absorbed, when +suddenly a fresh puff of wind blew the strong body scent of a man full +into his nostrils. He looked this way and that but could see no man. +Then a twig snapped in the cover near at hand, and a squirrel hunter +stepped into view, not fifty feet away. The hunter was probably much +more astonished than was Black Bruin. The great shaggy brute was so +close to him that he looked like a veritable monster. +</P> + +<P> +With the hunter's instinct, that acts almost before the mind has time +to think, the gun went to his shoulder and both barrels were discharged +in such quick succession as to call for merely one echo. +</P> + +<P> +The hunter was of course not in search of bears, so the two charges of +number four shot did not have a mortal effect upon the quarry, but at +such close range they penetrated quite deeply into his flesh and stung +him with an excruciating pain. With a loud "Hoof," and an agonized +grunt of pain, the bear fled precipitately in one direction, and the +hunter, thinking that he had jeopardized his life by his rashness in +attacking a bear with squirrel shot, fled in another. +</P> + +<P> +The man did not stop running until he reached the nearest farmhouse, +where he excitedly gasped out his adventure to wide-eyed listeners, +while Black Bruin fled as far as he could into the deep woods, to nurse +his many wounds. +</P> + +<P> +There was little, however, that he could do. The wounds were not +dangerous, but they burned and smarted as though a whole swarm of bees +had penetrated his thick coat and found the skin beneath. +</P> + +<P> +He spent the better part of the day lying in a cooling stream, waiting +for the burning and smarting to cease. +</P> + +<P> +He had now added one more to the list of his sad experiences in the +wild. The man-scent was dangerous and henceforth he must flee at the +slightest suspicion of the proximity of man. The rank sulphurous smell +of gunpowder, too, and the roar, like thunder, that echoed away through +the cavernous woods, were things that he would remember. +</P> + +<P> +Man, who he had thought was quite harmless, was a terrible enemy who +could sting him in a thousand places at once, and shake the forest with +thunder and lightning. +</P> + +<P> +Even while Black Bruin lay wallowing in the stream, trying to ease the +burning shotgun wounds, there was being planned in the near-by village +a bear-hunt that should bring about his destruction, for the excited +hunter had described a monster as large as a cow. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap10"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER X +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE GREAT BEAR-HUNT +</H3> + +<P> +The hair-raising story that the young squirrel-hunter told, created +quite an excitement among villagers near by, but on second +consideration the older and wiser heads were inclined to discredit it. +The imaginative Nimrod had probably seen a black stump or dark +moss-covered rock, which, in the excitement of the moment, he did not +stop to investigate. He had fired upon the instant and then fled +without taking further inventory of the place. It was doubtless one of +those hallucinations that are so common in the woods. Bears had not +been plentiful in the region for several years, so at first the story +was discredited. +</P> + +<P> +About a week later Grandpa Hezekiah Butterfield, one of the old men of +the village, went about a mile into the country to a farmhouse to take +supper with an old crony and to talk over old times. +</P> + +<P> +As is usual when two grandpas get to talking over old times, Grandpa +Butterfield stayed much later than he intended, starting for home at +about eight o'clock. But when he went, he felt well repaid for his +visit, because he had completely out-talked his companion and moreover +was carrying back a present of five pounds of honey, which, as the old +man had a sweet tooth, the only tooth he had, was most acceptable. +</P> + +<P> +Just after leaving the farmhouse, the way led through a deep woods +which overhung the road, making it quite dark in places. +</P> + +<P> +It happened that on this same evening Black Bruin went forth on one of +his nightly prowls. +</P> + +<P> +It was a moonlight night and the wood-mice were out in force, +scampering about and squeaking, having the finest kind of a play. In +the course of his stalking this small game, Black Bruin came to within +a few rods of the road. He was sniffing about an old log which smelled +strongly of mice when a fresh puff of the wind brought him a strong +man-scent. +</P> + +<P> +At this dread odor the hair rose upon his neck and fear told him to +slip quietly away in the opposite direction from which the scent came. +</P> + +<P> +He was about to obey this instinct when the wind again freshened and a +new odor filled his nostrils. It was not as strong as the man-scent +and it did not fill him with fear, but with delight. It made his mouth +drip saliva and filled him with an insatiate craving for something, he +could not remember just what. +</P> + +<P> +Then the old sweet smell, that was to him what whisky is to the +drunkard, brought back a familiar picture. It was of a farmhouse with +barns and many out-buildings. There were hens, ducks and turkeys in +the yard and back of the house was a row of beehives that always +emitted this ravishing odor. +</P> + +<P> +It was honey, and at the realization Black Bruin could almost hear the +low droning of the hive, or the angry zip, zip of the bees about his +ears as he robbed them. +</P> + +<P> +Again the night-wind brought the man-scent and the smell of honey. The +former filled him with fear and the latter with delight. Again and +again he tested the wind, weighing the two odors, and at last the honey +conquered. +</P> + +<P> +The man might fill him with thorns and prickers from his thunder and +lightning stick, but he must have some of that honey. +</P> + +<P> +Grandpa Butterfield was walking leisurely along humming a psalm tune, +as was his wont when well pleased with the world, when he thought he +heard something behind him in the road. +</P> + +<P> +He stopped and listened, but all was still. Only the usual +night-sounds came to his ears. But when he moved on, he felt sure that +the footsteps again followed. +</P> + +<P> +At last he reached a point where the moonlight fell across the road. +He now felt quite sure that something was coming after him but what, he +could not imagine. Feeling curious, and a bit uneasy, for the road was +a lonely one, he turned and looked behind and there, in the full +moonlight, not forty feet away, he beheld a huge black bear following +surely in his footsteps. +</P> + +<P> +There was no deceiving his eye. He had seen too many bears in days +gone by. +</P> + +<P> +Grandpa Butterfield quickened his walk to a trot, which in a dozen +steps he increased to as lively a run as a man of seventy years could +muster. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin, feeling, now that the man was running, he was afraid of +him, and seeing his precious honey rapidly moving away down the road, +went in hot pursuit. +</P> + +<P> +By the time the old man had covered a hundred feet, his breath came in +quick asthmatic gasps. Craning his stiff neck to see if he had +distanced his pursuer, he saw to his horror that the bear was not +twenty feet behind him. Terror now lent wings to his rheumatic old +legs, and he sprinted another hundred feet in much quicker time than he +had the first. +</P> + +<P> +But Black Bruin now felt sure that the honey was his. The man creature +was clearly afraid of him, so he too increased his pace. +</P> + +<P> +Poor Grandpa Butterfield could almost feel the bear's hot breath upon +his back as he ran. Ten seconds more, he told himself, and he would be +in the clutches of this brute. His obituary and the account of his +tragic death would surely be in the county paper next week. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly his half-paralyzed brain was electrified by a thought. It was +the honey that the bear was after, and not him. Who ever heard of a +bear wanting to eat an old dried-up man, who was as tough as leather? +</P> + +<P> +Without a second's delay he pitched the honey into the road behind him, +and continued his frantic flight. +</P> + +<P> +A few rods farther on, feeling that he was no longer pursued, he +glanced back just long enough to see the bear tearing the paper from +the package and licking out the honey. +</P> + +<P> +That evening at the country grocery the bear-story of the +squirrel-hunter was amply corroborated by Grandpa Butterfield, who was +so winded and spent with running that he could barely gasp out his +disconnected account of the chase through the woods. +</P> + +<P> +The next morning, with Grandpa Butterfield as a guide, several men went +over the ground, where there was plenty of evidence to substantiate the +old man's story. The empty honey-frames were there, and the +bear-tracks told as plainly as words that a bear, of unusual size, had +given the old man the run of his life through the woods. +</P> + +<P> +Grandpa Butterfield was the hero of the village, both for that day and +several following, and the long-talked-of bear-hunt was at once +organized. +</P> + +<P> +There was but one rifle in the village, and that was a 38-55 +Winchester, the property of the young hunter from the city, who had +filled Black Bruin's coat with squirrel-shot. So old rusty shotguns +were got out and cleaned up in readiness for the fray. Some of them +had not seen service recently, with the exception of once or twice a +year, when they were used to scare off the crows or to frighten a +woodchuck which was making too free with the beans. +</P> + +<P> +Boys hunted up old rusty bullet-moulds and ran bullets, and the +shotguns were loaded with slugs and buckshot. +</P> + +<P> +Those who were not fortunate enough even to possess a disreputable old +gun, armed themselves with pitchforks, so that altogether it was a +motley armed party that started out one early October morning to +annihilate Black Bruin. +</P> + +<P> +The dogs comprising the pack were half-breed hounds and beagles, with +two or three pure-blood foxhounds. +</P> + +<P> +By rare good fortune a farmer, coming into town early, had seen the +bear crossing the road ahead of his team, so that the dogs could be +shown the trail at once. +</P> + +<P> +But when the hunters pointed out the hand-shaped track in the road and +said "seek," the hair rose upon the dogs' backs and they stuck their +tails between their legs and interpreted "seek," as meaning that they +were to seek their own homes by the shortest path. This new rank +animal scent had no attraction for them. They had not lost any bear. +In other words, they would not follow. +</P> + +<P> +Here was a difficulty that the hunters had not foreseen, and for a time +it looked as though the hunt was doomed to end then and there. +</P> + +<P> +Finally some one in the party said, "We ought to have taken along Ben +Holcome's Growler. Growler ain't afraid of the devil himself." +</P> + +<P> +Growler was a mongrel, half-hound and half-bulldog. He had not nose +enough to follow alone, but as had been said, he wasn't afraid of +anything. So as there was nothing else to do, a boy was sent +cross-lots after Growler, while the hunters waited impatiently. +</P> + +<P> +Growler and the boy at last put in an appearance, and the mongrel was +shown the bear-track in the road. +</P> + +<P> +Growler's hair likewise rose up on his neck, but his lips also parted +in a snarl and he started off on the fresh track, uttering excited +yelps. Growler thought he scented a good fight ahead, and he would +rather chew on a good adversary any day than upon a piece of beefsteak. +</P> + +<P> +Seeing what was expected of them, and made courageous by Growler's +example, the pack followed at full cry, and the great bear-hunt was on +in earnest. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin heard them almost at the outset, where he was digging roots +in the deep woods, and for some reason the sounds annoyed him. He knew +they were made by dogs, for he had often heard the old hound Hecla at +the farmhouse running rabbits in the near-by swamp. +</P> + +<P> +But here, there were half-a-dozen hounds instead of one, and their +baying was fairly clamorous. +</P> + +<P> +Finally, the pack entered the woods not forty rods away, and Black +Bruin began to get uneasy. At last it dawned upon him, as the pack +drew still nearer and nearer, that; they were upon his track. This +thought filled him with both fear and rage. What did these curs want +of him? Had he not killed a dog that was worrying him, while with +Pedro, with a single blow? +</P> + +<P> +So he crouched in a thicket and waited expectantly. He had not long to +wait, for in fifteen seconds the pack came up. When they discovered +the bear so near at hand, however, and saw what menacing game they had +been running, the hounds all slunk back to a safe distance, and sat on +their tails. But not so Growler. +</P> + +<P> +Here was the scrap of his life with an animal three times as large as +the big Newfoundland, whom he was in the habit of worrying. So he +rushed into the thicket and sprang at Black Bruin's throat. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-184"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-184.jpg" ALT="GROWLER SPRANG AT BLACK BRUIN'S THROAT" BORDER="2" WIDTH="403" HEIGHT="570"> +<H3 CLASS="h3center" STYLE="width: 500px"> +GROWLER SPRANG AT BLACK BRUIN'S THROAT +</H3> +</CENTER> + +<P> +But quick as he was, he was not as quick as his adversary, who ripped +open the side of his head with a lucky blow, and stretched him gasping +upon the ground. Black Bruin then reached down and biting the kicking +dog through the neck, finished his troubles in short order. +</P> + +<P> +Growler uttered one agonized cry, and stretched out dead. This was +enough for the rest of the pack, all of whom stuck their tails between +their legs and ran for their respective masters. +</P> + +<P> +Hearing the cries of men near at hand, Black Bruin slunk out of the +thicket and off into the deep woods, but not soon enough to escape a +fusillade of buckshot which whizzed about him as he ran, a few of them +biting deep into his flesh. +</P> + +<P> +But he was soon lost to sight, and as the pack would not follow, now +that Growler was no more, the hunt was finally abandoned for that day. +</P> + +<P> +The next day a bulldog and a bull terrier were procured to take the +place of Growler, and the hunt was resumed. But being made wary by +this experience, Black Bruin "laid low" and they could not start him. +</P> + +<P> +Each morning for three days they scoured the country, beating the woods +and loosing the hounds at all points where the bear had been recently +seen, but without success. +</P> + +<P> +The fourth morning a farmer came to town in great haste. The bear had +killed a calf the night before and he had discovered the partly eaten +carcass buried in the woods near by. Here was the bait that would lure +the thief into their hands. +</P> + +<P> +So hunters and hounds went at once to the carcass, where a rather fresh +trail was found. Half an hour's pursuit again routed out the bear. +Once he took to the open, and the young hunter from the city with the +Winchester sent a bullet through his paw, laming him considerably. +This would never do, so he doubled back to the woods. +</P> + +<P> +He did not fear this yelping, baying pack as he did the men that were +also following him. He now knew that the thunder and lightning that +they carried could bite and sting as nothing else could. +</P> + +<P> +For half an hour Black Bruin ran hither and thither, doubling in and +out. Finally he remembered his tree-climbing habit and in an evil +moment clambered up a tall spruce. In five minutes' time after he +scratched up the tree, men and dogs had surrounded his foolish refuge, +and his fate seemed sealed. +</P> + +<P> +The last of the party to arrive was the young man with the Winchester, +for whom all had been waiting. One shot from him would end the hunt. +</P> + +<P> +They discovered Black Bruin about thirty feet from the ground in a +thick whorl of limbs. +</P> + +<P> +The young rifleman was much excited. This would be his first bear. +His name would be in the local paper, and he would have a great story +to tell when he got back to the city. +</P> + +<P> +Experience would have taught him to draw his bead finer than he did, +and also to have lowered his rear sight, which was set for two hundred +yards; but taking careless aim, and thinking he could not miss at such +short range, he pressed the trigger. +</P> + +<P> +There was a sharp crack from the rifle, and the bullet ploughed a deep +wound in Black Bruin's scalp, but glanced from his thick skull and went +singing through the tree-tops. +</P> + +<P> +The blow of the bullet upon the skull dazed the bear for a moment, and +he loosed his hold and came tumbling down through the interlaced limbs. +</P> + +<P> +But the hard bump that he got at the foot of the tree, brought him to +his senses with a jerk. Right among the yelping, snarling pack he had +fallen, and in sheer desperation he struck out right and left. +</P> + +<P> +Two of the hounds went yelping to the rear. Then an excited boy +leveled a double-barreled shotgun at the bear and discharged both +barrels. +</P> + +<P> +At the same instant the best hound in the pack jumped into range and +rolled over kicking upon the ground. He had received the full charge. +</P> + +<P> +Half-blinded and dazed by the blow upon his head, and made frantic by +the yelping of the pack, the shouts of the men and the roar of their +thunder, Black Bruin put all his remaining strength into flight. +</P> + +<P> +Not knowing or seeing which way he went, he fled straight toward the +hunter with the Winchester with mouth wide open. +</P> + +<P> +Horrified at the sight, which the hunter interpreted as a desperate +charge upon the part of the bear, the city Nimrod delivered one wild +shot and then fled for his life, as he thought. +</P> + +<P> +This stampeded the entire hunt, and the terrified men fled as fast as +their legs could carry them until they left the spot far behind. +</P> + +<P> +It was a question whether the frantic beast tried harder to get away +from the hunters, or they from him. +</P> + +<P> +In the village grocery the stories that were told that night made the +small boy's hair stand up with fright and his blood run cold with fear. +</P> + +<P> +As for Black Bruin, with his wounded paw upon which he limped +painfully, and with his bleeding scalp, he concluded that the part of +the country in which he had made his home for several months, was no +place for him, so before another sunrise he put many miles between +himself and the scene of his narrow escape from the hunters. +</P> + +<P> +Nor did this one night's journey calm his fear. Night after night he +fled, always going in the same direction, which, as he fled northward, +carried him farther and farther into the wilderness. +</P> + +<P> +At last in a wild country of rugged mountains and deep, thickly wooded +valleys, where the habitat of man seemed far distant, he ceased his +flight. +</P> + +<P> +There in the wilderness, where lumbermen alone penetrated, Black Bruin +denned up and slept away his fifth winter. His bed was made deep under +the top of a fallen hemlock, where the snow drifted above him and +covered him with soft white blankets. The only evidence that the outer +world had that a bear was sleeping beneath was a small hole in the snow +kept open by the warm breath of the sleeper. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap11"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XI +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +A PLEASANT COMPANION +</H3> + +<P> +When Black Bruin awoke from his long sleep, stretched himself, and +sallied forth into the open world, the first faint touch of red was +appearing upon the soft maples. Buds upon the other trees had not +started and there were yet suggestions of the chill of melting +snow-banks upon the air. The tones of the forest were still somber, +light gray-green or ash color, suggesting the funeral pile of the last +year. +</P> + +<P> +If the sun shone brightly for an hour, there might come a dash of hail +the next and a chilling blast of wind that seemed to retard the +oncoming spring for a whole month. +</P> + +<P> +Life hung in the balance, the seasons coquetted, gray-haired old Winter +trifling and flirting with the warm, blushing, sweet-breathed Spring. +</P> + +<P> +The awakening had not yet come. It might come the next week, or, if +the spring was exceptionally late, it might not come until the next +month. +</P> + +<P> +In accordance with his usual spring custom Black Bruin fasted for +several days, eating only grasses, buds and roots. This satisfied him +until the thick layers of fat, with which he had come forth from his +winter sleep, disappeared and then he became ravenous, "as ravenous as +a wolf," as the proverb says. +</P> + +<P> +He hunted mice persistently, but mice seemed not to be as plentiful in +the wilderness as they were nearer civilization. Squirrels also were +not as numerous here as nearer the abode of man. +</P> + +<P> +Most people, when they go to the great woods, expect to find them +teeming with all kinds of life, and are much disappointed to find that +song-birds and squirrels are decidedly more plentiful in their home +village than in the wilderness. Many of the birds and smaller animals +are social little creatures and love to be near the abode of man, while +others live upon the scatterings which agriculture deigns not to pick +up. +</P> + +<P> +One day Black Bruin was following along the banks of a good-sized +stream, looking for frogs, or anything, for that matter, which might +fit into a bear menu, when to his great astonishment he discovered +another bear, not as large as himself, sitting upon a flat rock a few +feet from the shore, watching the stream intently. Black Bruin had +never seen any of his kind before and a feeling of curiosity and +friendly inquiry came over him. He did not go at once to make the +acquaintance of the stranger, but kept very quiet and watched to see +what she was doing. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-196"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-196.jpg" ALT="HE DISCOVERED ANOTHER BEAR WATCHING THE STREAM" BORDER="2" WIDTH="404" HEIGHT="574"> +<H3 CLASS="h3center" STYLE="width: 550px"> +HE DISCOVERED ANOTHER BEAR WATCHING THE STREAM +</H3> +</CENTER> + +<P> +He did not have long to wait, for a gust of wind soon dropped a bit of +bark upon the stream near the crouching bear. There was a spray of +water, and a flash of the silver sides of the salmon as it darted to +the surface. Then the bear on the rock reached down with her paw and, +with a lightning-like motion, batted the fish out of the water and well +up on the bank. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin, during his year of wild life, had found several dead fish, +which he had eaten with great relish. So, without waiting to consider +that the prize did not belong to him, he started out of the bushes for +it. +</P> + +<P> +But the real fisherman rushed at him with such ferocity that he quickly +retreated to cover and sat watching while she killed the fish. +</P> + +<P> +When it had been dispatched, the lucky fisherman took it in her mouth +and went away into the woods with the prize. Black Bruin followed at a +distance, smelling of the bushes, where the fish brushed in passing, +leaving a tantalizing scent. +</P> + +<P> +Finally, the bear with the fish stopped under some spruces and began +eating it. +</P> + +<P> +Soon two fuzzy shuffling little creatures joined her. What they were +or where they came from Black Bruin did not know. They seemed not to +care much for the fish which the old bear offered them, but preferred +to romp and tumble about in the jolliest kind of frolic. +</P> + +<P> +In the old days there had been a litter of puppies at the farmhouse. +These queer little creatures were about the size of puppies, but Black +Bruin did not think they were small dogs. +</P> + +<P> +When the fish had been eaten, the three went away farther into the +woods, the two small creatures following in the footsteps of their +mother. +</P> + +<P> +Then Black Bruin went up and smelled of their tracks and his good nose +told him that they were small bears. +</P> + +<P> +After that Black Bruin saw the old bear and her two cubs often, but she +would not let him come near them, and did not evince much friendliness +for him. But he had learned one valuable lesson and the following day +was upon the flat rock watching for fish. +</P> + +<P> +He did not get one that day or the next, but he had patience, which all +fishermen must have, and the third day got his fish. +</P> + +<P> +It was much larger than the one he had seen the strange bear take and +it made him a fine meal. After that he was a tireless fisherman. +</P> + +<P> +One morning Black Bruin discovered a little dappled fawn following its +mother gleefully through the fragrant breeze-haunted forest, and +remembering his calf-killing episode, just before the bear-hunt, he +approached cautiously. This was not a calf, for the habitation of man +had been left far behind. Calves he had made the acquaintance of when +he was the farmhouse pet, in those far-off days. This was a wilderness +creature and it belonged to him if he could kill it, as did all the +wild creatures that he could master. +</P> + +<P> +This is the universal cry of the woods,—food, food, food; and it is +the cry of civilization as well. There is no dingle dell, where the +harebell and the anemone grow, where the pine and the spruce stand +darkling and sweet peace seems to fold her wings and sit brooding, but +danger is there. Danger that crawls and creeps and runs with great +bounds. Danger upon velvety paws, that fall on the mosses of the +forest carpet as lightly as an autumn leaf; danger that slinks in gray +protectively colored forms which pass like shadows; danger upon wings, +as sure and speedy as the hunter's arrow,—wings fringed with down, +that their coming may be noiseless and fatal. +</P> + +<P> +The tiny wood-mouse scampers gleefully in the dead leaves, but above +him and about him are a dozen dangers. The nervous cottontail sits +erect upon his haunches, his nose twitches and his large trumpet-like +ears are turned this way and that to catch the slightest sound. His +whole attitude is one of intense watching and listening, and well he +may, for his enemies are legion and in every thicket, bush and tree-top +a dark danger is lurking. +</P> + +<P> +This is the war of the woods. The old, old story of carnage, life that +takes life that the breath of life may not go out of the nostrils. +Cruel as fate is the law of the woods, but it is also the law of the +shambles and carnivorous man. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin was not as well versed in hunting as most of his wild +kindred, so he did not take the precaution to get upon the windward +side of his game. The ever-watchful mother scented danger long before +he got within striking distance. Her white flag went up and she led +her offspring at a breakneck pace from the place, but Black Bruin had +marked them for his own and it was only a matter of patience. +</P> + +<P> +For several days he watched their coming and going, until at last he +discovered where the mother left her offspring while she went to a +distant lake to feed upon lily-pads. +</P> + +<P> +The little dappled deer was hidden under a fallen tree-top and one day, +while the doe was gone, he fell upon the helpless fawn, which, +according to the unwritten law of the forest, was his legitimate meat. +</P> + +<P> +With a swift sure rush and a savage snarl, he brought the little deer +from hiding. There was a short, swift chase, an agonized bleat or two, +and Black Bruin had a breakfast that well repaid him for all his +watching and waiting. +</P> + +<P> +The same afternoon he saw the mother, wild-eyed and bleating, racing +wildly up and down the forest, asking, by terrified looks and actions, +"Have you seen my little dappled fawn? He is gone and there is strong +bear-scent about the tree-top where I hid him." For several days she +haunted the region and her anxiety and heedlessness of her own safety +nearly caused her to fall a victim to the wary hunter, but she finally +disappeared altogether. +</P> + +<P> +It was not until the full glory of mid-summer was over the land that +Black Bruin met White Nose in a blueberry patch upon a barren hillside. +At first she would have nothing to do with him, but he followed her so +persistently that she was at last obliged to take notice. +</P> + +<P> +For a long time something in earth and air had been calling to Black +Bruin,—something that he craved above all other things; but what it +was he never knew until he rubbed muzzles with White Nose and felt her +warm breath in his face. Then he knew that he had found what he wanted +and that the old loneliness would not haunt him again. +</P> + +<P> +But there was one thing about him that made his mate most suspicious +and it took much patient coaxing upon Black Bruin's part to overcome +her misgivings. This was the strong leather collar that the former +dancing-bear still wore about his neck. +</P> + +<P> +It was the collar into which Pedro had fastened the chain during the +latter part of the bear's captivity. This White Nose could not +understand. In all her experience she had never seen a bear wearing +such a thing as this. The man-scent about it, too, made it still more +alarming. But at last her prejudice was overcome, and the two came and +went together during the rest of the summer and the early autumn. +</P> + +<P> +From her Black Bruin learned many of the secrets of the woods that had +hitherto been hidden from him. White Nose had been reared in the wild, +so all her senses were keen and the woods and waters were her +hunting-ground. +</P> + +<P> +Together they caught salmon at a shallow point in the stream where all +they had to do was to sit upon a rock and knock them out on the bank as +they passed. Together, in the early autumn, they raided a beaver +colony, breaking into the houses and killing several of the members. +Black Bruin thought he had never tasted anything in his life quite so +delicious as beaver-meat. +</P> + +<P> +White Nose also taught him how to lie in wait for the deer in a clump +of bushes by some pathway that they were in the habit of following, or +by the lick, or perhaps by a spring where they often came to drink, and +then, before they suspected their presence, to make a sudden rush. +</P> + +<P> +She showed him a hollow birch-stub, in which a family of raccoons +dwelt, and together they set to work to destroy the household of their +own smaller brother. They dug and tore at the base of the stub until +they had undermined it, and then together pushed it over. +</P> + +<P> +At first the raccoon family were much astonished and terrified at the +commotion outside their dwelling, and when finally the house came down, +three sleek raccoons fled in as many directions. White Nose secured +one and Black Bruin another, while the third escaped. +</P> + +<P> +The last thing in the autumn, before they denned up, the two bears made +a long journey of several days to the nearest settlement, where they +killed several sheep, and also carried off two small pigs. In this +stealing, Black Bruin took the lead, for he knew much better the ways +of man, and the danger from his thunder and lightning than did his +companion. +</P> + +<P> +Upon this good supply of mutton and pork they laid on the final layers +of fat, and then returned to their wilderness and denned up for the +winter. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap12"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN +</H3> + +<P> +The following spring, when Black Bruin came forth from hibernation, he +went one day's journey nearer to the settlements and took up +headquarters in a rugged and heavily timbered series of mountains, +which were admirably adapted to his purpose. +</P> + +<P> +Whenever he awoke during his winter nap he still tasted pork and mutton +from the autumn raid. Henceforth he must have more of that diet. So +the reason for his changing his base of operations will be readily +seen. One day's journey would carry him back into the wilderness, with +its fine resources for fishing and hunting, while a day's travel in the +opposite direction would bring him to the outskirts of the settlements, +within easy striking distance of plunder. +</P> + +<P> +At his first meeting with White Nose, he found her most unresponsive to +his advances, considering the fact that they had come and gone together +all through the autumn. The reason for her indifference was soon +discovered, for Black Bruin saw that she had two little fuzzy cubs in +tow;—one with a smutty white nose like her own, and the other with a +dark muzzle like Black Bruin's. If Black Bruin knew that these were +his offspring, he did not evince much interest in them, while White +Nose would hardly let him go near them. Perhaps she was afraid that he +might eat them, or maybe it was only maternal jealousy, which is always +strong in wild mothers. +</P> + +<P> +For several days after taking up his abode in the mountains, Black +Bruin contented himself with a vegetarian diet, varied with fish and +small game, but the blood-lust soon came upon him and he began prowling +about the settlements. +</P> + +<P> +At first, his reconnoitering was unsuccessful; but one day he +discovered an animal four or five times as large as a deer, feeding in +an open field near the woods. This would not have interested him much +had not the large creature been followed by a little animal of the same +kind. He never would have thought of attacking the mother, but the +calf was easily within his scope and he began shadowing them with the +persistence of a good hunter. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin knew that these creatures were the property of men. He had +often watched the cattle feeding when he lived near the scene of the +great bear-hunt, but with the exception of the calf he had killed upon +that eventful morning, he had never molested them. +</P> + +<P> +Even now, he associated the killing of the calf with the baying of +hounds and danger, but he was now much wiser and stronger. He felt +that he could get away to the mountains long before men would discover +their loss. He could even fight if need be. +</P> + +<P> +Of all the bears in the region he was easily the strongest and heaviest +and his life with White Nose the fall before had taught him many things. +</P> + +<P> +One morning the young heifer hid her little red calf in a thicket just +as the doe had her fawn and went to feed in the open near by. +</P> + +<P> +This was Black Bruin's opportunity, and swift and sure like the good +hunter he had now become, he approached. The deer mother had not +offered to attack him and he did not think this one would, so he did +not pay much attention to her. +</P> + +<P> +He crept as near as he could without scaring the game and then with a +swift pounce was upon it. He struck the calf a blow that should have +broken its neck, but the calf moved at just the critical moment and +received a glancing stroke. With a bleat of pain and fear it sprang up +and fled toward its mother. It took only two jumps, for a second blow +laid it low, with just enough life left to kick. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin seized the prize by the head and began dragging it into the +bushes. But he had not gone far when the heifer was upon him like a +whirlwind. He aimed a blow at her head which deprived her of one horn, +but this did not stop her charge. She caught him fairly in the chest +and sent him sprawling. +</P> + +<P> +Her remaining horn ploughed a deep wound in his shoulder and the force +of the contact knocked the breath out of him, but it also aroused his +fighting blood and put him upon his guard. +</P> + +<P> +When the heifer came for him the second time, he ripped open her nose +and eluded her charge, but in no way dampened her fighting ardor. +</P> + +<P> +Ordinarily she would have fled from the bear like the wind, but her +maternal affection had been aroused and wounded and no matter how timid +the wild mother, it will usually fight desperately when its young are +assailed. +</P> + +<P> +Now that the bear was upon his guard, the heifer was hardly a match for +him, for he could usually elude her charges and punish her sorely at +each rush; but one thing was certain: It would be no easy matter to +carry off the dead calf, and carry on such a fight as this at the same +time. +</P> + +<P> +In five minutes the cow was covered with blood and her hide had been +deeply lacerated in many places, while Black Bruin still had but one +wound, that in his shoulder. +</P> + +<P> +Little by little the heifer's frenzy was worn out, until at last she +retired to a distance and pawed the ground and bellowed. But when +Black Bruin sought to carry off the calf, she was back again fighting +every inch of the ground and often causing him to abandon the carcass +for a time. +</P> + +<P> +When she stood over the dead calf, licking the blood from its wounds +and caressing and nosing it, trying in her dumb way to bring it back to +life, she was a pathetic picture of wild motherhood, fighting and ready +to fight to the end if need be for its offspring. +</P> + +<P> +Finally toward night she seemed to understand that the calf was dead +and no longer of value to her, so, after driving Black Bruin far from +the spot, she abandoned the fight and left him conqueror and in full +possession of the field. +</P> + +<P> +When he had made sure that she had returned to the pasture, he dragged +the calf far up the mountainside into his fastness and gorged upon it +as long as it lasted. +</P> + +<P> +As the pasture in which Black Bruin had committed his depredation was a +mile from the settler's house and not often visited except to salt the +young stock kept in it, the real offender was not discovered, although +it was apparent to the farmer that the heifer had been attacked by some +wild beast. The rains, however, had so obliterated the signs that it +is doubtful if he could have read them rightly, even had he discovered +the scene of the battle. +</P> + +<P> +About a week later Black Bruin was climbing the mountainside on the way +to his fastness when the wind brought him a new scent that he had +sometimes smelled before, but what to attribute it to he had never +known. The scent was very strong and Black Bruin knew that the +intruder of his domain was near at hand. At last he made out a dim +gray shape, near the trunk of a tree. Its color so blended with its +surroundings that he might not have noticed it at all, had it not been +for two yellow phosphorus eyes that glowed full at him. +</P> + +<P> +The creature was about the size of a large raccoon, but it was no +raccoon. Its head was large and round, and surmounted by long ears +with hairy tassels at the end. Its forearm was longer and stronger +than that of a raccoon and the tail was short and not much of an +ornament. +</P> + +<P> +Whatever the animal was, it was small and possibly good to eat, so +Black Bruin made a rush at it; but quick as he was, he was not half as +quick as the lynx, which with a snarl and a spit scratched up the tree +in a manner that made the bear's own accomplishments at tree-climbing +look mean indeed. So the stranger could climb trees? Well, so could +Black Bruin. Up he scratched after it. He would follow it to the top +and then bat it off with his paw. +</P> + +<P> +When the cat had nearly reached the top of the tree, it turned around +and looked back. Its enemy was close upon it and something heroic must +be done. +</P> + +<P> +The cat measured the distance to a tree-top forty or fifty feet farther +down the mountainside; then the top of the tree in which it squatted +sprang back and the gray form shot through the air and alighted +gracefully in the distant tree-top. +</P> + +<P> +It was a great jump, and so astonished Black Bruin that he forgot to be +furious at seeing his game escape. +</P> + +<P> +This was his first experience with a Canadian lynx, but he saw them +often, once he had learned their ways. He discovered that they too +were fishermen, and hunters of small game. He often found them hunting +upon his preserves, but their broad paws fell so lightly upon the +forest carpet and their gray forms were so unobtrusive in the woods +that he did not often come to close quarters with them. +</P> + +<P> +A few days later, one evening, just at twilight, when Black Bruin was +prowling cautiously after a deer family, consisting of a buck, two +does, and three fawns, he made the acquaintance of another cat, much +larger and more supple than the lynx. +</P> + +<P> +The deer were moving slowly from point to point, browsing as they went, +when suddenly from the tree-tops, fell a long lithe figure. +</P> + +<P> +So swift and terrible was its coming that the doe upon whom it sprang +was borne to the ground. The great cat did not wait for it to recover, +but with claw and fang soon throttled it, while the rest of the herd +fled at a breakneck pace, their white flags up. +</P> + +<P> +Here was game already killed. The great cat was not over a third as +heavy as Black Bruin. It would doubtless run away at his approach as +did everything else. +</P> + +<P> +So thought the bear as he rushed in to take the kill from the cougar, +but he had reckoned without his host. +</P> + +<P> +The panther was so intent upon its own game that it did not notice the +approach of the bear until the rival hunter was within thirty feet of +the prize. Then it wheeled about and was instantly transformed into a +demon. Its tail lashed its sides, its fangs were bared in the ugliest +snarl that Black Bruin had ever faced and its eyes fairly blazed. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin backed off a few feet to get a better look at the terrible +stranger. He had not expected opposition and such effrontery was new +to him. +</P> + +<P> +But the panther continued to lash her sides with her tail and to glare +and snarl, so the bear circled about and about, trying to get behind +his adversary. Finally, seeing that the panther had no notion of +giving up the kill, the bear went in search of other game. +</P> + +<P> +But he was not afraid of the great cat, only astonished and curious. +He knew quite well that the deer did not belong to him and this may +have kept him from picking a quarrel. +</P> + +<P> +If he had met the cat in any of the forest highways and it had disputed +his right to any of the privileges of the ancient woods, he would have +given battle. So he was still the king of the mountain, although he +had left the cat in full possession of the deer. +</P> + +<P> +Spring and summer came and went. The blueberries ripened in the +pastures and scant clearings, and the blackberries along the edge of +the woods. All the native roots that Black Bruin knew so well grew in +abundance. +</P> + +<P> +Occasionally he stole from the distant settlements, as the king of the +mountain had a right to do, or went farther into the wilderness where +the hunting and fishing were better. Several times he ran across White +Nose and her two fuzzy cubs, but they did not have much to do with each +other until autumn came around. +</P> + +<P> +Finally the first frosts came, and the waiting forest shook out its +scarlet and crimson and golden banners, and many water-grasses and +weeds took on quite bright colors, for such humble plants. +</P> + +<P> +One moonlight night in October, when the air had begun to be clear and +crisp, and the sky was so studded with stars that it seemed as if there +was not room for even one more, a strange and lordly company came +stalking into the land of the king of the mountain. They were gray, +dim, spectral shapes and new to the region. +</P> + +<P> +They may have been looking for feeding grounds, or perhaps the autumn +restlessness was upon their leader, who was a giant of his kind,—a +broad-antlered belligerent bull moose, ready at this season of the year +to fight anything and everything that crossed his path. +</P> + +<P> +The first time Black Bruin saw the newcomers he was digging roots along +the edge of a shallow pond. He was also keeping a sharp lookout for +frogs, clams, or almost any small crustaceans. +</P> + +<P> +Presently he noticed a commotion out in the middle of the pond, which +was only about an acre in extent. Then a great head, surmounted by a +massive set of horns, came up out of the water and Black Bruin saw that +the strange creature had his mouth full of lily-bulbs and +water-grasses. Soon the huge head disappeared again, and after a few +seconds reappeared, bringing up more lily-pads. +</P> + +<P> +For half an hour Black Bruin watched the stranger diving and +reappearing. Then the great beast swam ashore, shook himself and went +crashing off through the woods, his hoofs keeping time in a rhythmic +clack, a-clack, clack. +</P> + +<P> +When he had disappeared Black Bruin advanced to the spot where he had +come ashore and smelled his track. It was not like anything that he +had ever smelled before, and somehow the scent made him angry. This +lordly monster was invading his preserves. No one but him had a right +to hunt or fish, or to eat roots in this region. So Black Bruin +followed the trail of the moose, half curious and half angry. +</P> + +<P> +He had not gone a quarter of a mile when he came up with the bull, who +was rubbing his antlers upon the branches of a low tree. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin watched him for several moments, until a puff of wind +carried the telltale scent to the moose, who is most wary and watchful. +</P> + +<P> +The moose threw up his head, gave a loud snort and blew his breath +through his nose with a whistling sound, then crashed off through the +forest. This fact led Black Bruin to surmise that he was afraid of +him, and nearly resulted in his undoing. +</P> + +<P> +The following day, he discovered the broad-antlered stranger browsing +upon a small tree that was bent down under his foreleg. There were two +other tall, gaunt creatures, also feeding near, and two small animals +of the same kind. These were two cow-moose and their calves. +Altogether it was quite an imposing family party. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin watched them curiously for a time, until finally the bull +scented him, and came charging through the bushes. +</P> + +<P> +This both astonished and angered the bear, but seeing how large and +formidable the stranger was, and how fearlessly he came on, Black Bruin +sneaked away through the bushes into some very thick cover and bided +his time. +</P> + +<P> +It came a few days later. He was poking under the dead leaves for +beechnuts, when he noticed the herd passing at a distance. The two +cows and the calves were apparently alone, and one of the calves was +straggling far behind the rest. For several days the blood-lust had +been strong upon Black Bruin, and here was his opportunity. So he +began stalking the calf warily. The wind was in his favor and in half +an hour he had worked around within striking distance. +</P> + +<P> +He first peered all about to see that the bull was not in sight, and +then made a sudden rush upon the calf. But awkward as it looked, the +calf was agile, and nearly eluded him, merely receiving a raking blow +across the shoulder, where Black Bruin had intended to break its neck. +Terrified and stung with excruciating pain, it ran hither and thither, +bleating and making a great outcry. +</P> + +<P> +But Black Bruin was not the hunter to let his prey get away if he could +help it, so he pursued the calf hotly and soon landed another blow that +stretched it upon the ground. He was so intent upon his own game, that +he did not notice the cyclone bearing down upon him. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly the broad-antlered monster was above him, striking with +terrible cutting hoofs, which ploughed deep furrows in his shaggy coat +and cut deeper gashes. Almost before he knew it, he had been knocked +down and was rapidly being trampled to death. +</P> + +<P> +The only thing that protected him was his fat. He was so rotund and so +covered with thick layers of fat, that he slipped about under the +fearful cutting hoofs. +</P> + +<P> +He struck out viciously, laying open one of the bull's forelegs, but +without avail. In another minute his fate would have been sealed, had +not a deliverer come at the right second. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly, from out the bushes near at hand, charged another bull moose, +bellowing frightfully as he came. He was not coming primarily to Black +Bruin's assistance, but to do battle with the first bull. One of the +cows by right was his, and he proposed to claim his rights, and battle +for them like the knights of old. +</P> + +<P> +Hearing the challenge and seeing a rival near at hand, the moose left +his victim and charged furiously at the newcomer, while Black Bruin +limped painfully into the bushes, feeling that he had found out +something about the genus moose that it was well to remember. +</P> + +<P> +He did not fully recover from his mauling until he went into winter +quarters. +</P> + +<P> +The following spring when Black Bruin came forth from hibernation, he +made a trip to a distant lake where the moose were often to be found. +He had no mind to molest them, but he did want a certain root which +grew only there. +</P> + +<P> +He went directly to the little pond where he had first seen the bull +moose, and had arrived within a few rods of the shore when his keen ear +caught a slight sound. It was a sound of pain, half-groan and +half-moan. Something was in distress. Distress in the wilderness +usually means a good dinner for some one, so Black Bruin crept +cautiously forward. Soon the wind brought moose-scent to the bear's +nostrils and he was filled with fear and tempted to flee, but still he +could hear deep groans and sighs. Coming to the edge of the water he +peered out through the bushes and discovered the mighty moose helpless +and impotent, mired in a treacherous spring bog. His legs were +entirely buried in the mud, which came up on his sides. He was covered +with foam and sweat, and so weak with thrashing and wrenching, that he +could hardly hold up his great head. +</P> + +<P> +At the sight, hate glowed hot in the small red eyes of Black Bruin. It +was this monster who had so beaten and humiliated him. Now he would +punish him, so he crept cautiously forward. +</P> + +<P> +But the strong wind blew the moose-scent in his nostrils and fear kept +him at bay. Finally the moose also scented the bear and made frantic +efforts to free himself, feeling that he was now helpless and at the +mercy of all; but his efforts were futile and he laid his head wearily +down in the mud when he had ceased struggling. +</P> + +<P> +For a whole day Black Bruin watched him, before he could overcome his +fear; then he crept cautiously out and sprang upon the bull's rear. +The great brute was by that time so spent that he hardly moved while +Black Bruin lacerated his flanks. The only sign of pain that he gave +was expressed in deep groans and sighs which seemed fairly to come from +his breaking heart. +</P> + +<P> +Soon the conqueror crept along the back to his neck, and biting and +striking at the vertebrae, quickly extinguished the strong life in the +great frame and the huge head gradually sank in the mire. For several +days Black Bruin came and gorged himself upon the carcass and did not +desist until it had entirely disappeared in the bog. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap13"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XIII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE BEAR WITH A COLLAR +</H3> + +<P> +It may interest the reader to know just how Black Bruin looked in this, +his seventh year, when he had acquired his full stature, which was +enormous for a black bear. +</P> + +<P> +The California grizzly occasionally reaches a thousand pounds, while +the enormous brown Kadiak bears, the largest carnivorous animals in the +world, reach two thousand pounds; but the black bear usually averages +about two hundred. Black Bruin had far outstripped all his +contemporaries in size and prowess. In the fall of his seventh year he +weighed upon the scales four hundred and two pounds, which fairly +earned him the title of King. +</P> + +<P> +His coat was long, thick, and glossy and black in color. +</P> + +<P> +He was not as high upon the shoulders as one might expect for so large +a beast. A wolf that stands thirty or thirty-two inches at the +shoulder will weigh one hundred and twenty-five pounds and is a large +wolf. Black Bruin was probably thirty-five or forty inches high at the +shoulder, but considerably higher in the middle of the back, which also +sloped off at the rear, where he was quite rotund. His tail was so +insignificant as to be hardly noticed at all at a distance. His head +was rather small for so large an animal. His eyes were also small and +looked weak. His claws, which were non-retractile, were not rakishly +long as are the grizzly's, but protruded slightly beyond the long hair +upon his feet. +</P> + +<P> +So altogether Black Bruin was most imposing for an eastern bear. He +was sleek and well-groomed, with the exception of two or three months +in the early summer when he shed his coat. +</P> + +<P> +Living as he now did within easy reach of the abode of man, he went +more and more often to the farmhouses and took toll of the farmers. +His wariness in regard to men, which he had learned partly of White +Nose and partly from sad experience, gradually wore away and his old +life with Pedro helped him to forget how strange and fearful a creature +man is, when dealing with wild beasts. +</P> + +<P> +So while he came and went much more recklessly than he would otherwise +have done, yet his knowledge of man's ways stood him in good stead. +</P> + +<P> +He knew that man was a creature of the day, doing his work in broad +daylight, while the bear is a night prowler. He knew that at morning +and evening man came and went from the fields to his den, where he +always stayed at night. +</P> + +<P> +He knew at just what hours the man-beast would be sleeping, and when he +would come forth and tend his creatures. He had often followed his own +master in the old cubhood days at the farmhouse, from outbuilding to +outbuilding, watching him do the morning chores. +</P> + +<P> +Man's thunder and lightning he also knew and feared more than all his +other powers. Dogs he despised and he also hated them, for they often +interrupted him in his thieving. +</P> + +<P> +One Sunday morning early in June Black Bruin had been prowling about a +little Canadian village and had satisfied his appetite with a +hen-turkey, which he had happened to discover sitting far from home. +He was returning to his mountain, when, in crossing one of those broad +paths in which men always traveled, he so far forgot his usual +precautions as nearly to run into a team carrying a half-witted French +boy to early mass, that was being celebrated in the little French +Catholic church near by. +</P> + +<P> +Upon seeing the enormous black bear at such close quarters, the boy's +hair fairly stood up with fright and whipping up his horse he was soon +at the church. Throwing the lines upon the horse's back, he bolted +into the sanctuary, although mass was in progress, crying, "I see one +deevil bar, as beeg as a mountain, I deed." +</P> + +<P> +Just as the boy entered the church, a large Newfoundland dog, which had +followed one of the worshipers to mass and was waiting for his master +upon the steps, like a good Catholic, became excited at the boy's +frantic manner and bounded into the church after him. +</P> + +<P> +Seeing the great shaggy dog appear at the same instant that the boy +announced his "deevil bar," in the dimly lighted church, the worshipers +at once jumped to the conclusion that this was the "deevil bar" who had +come to eat them all up, like the wolf in "Red Riding Hood." +</P> + +<P> +Women and children screamed and rushed for a farther corner of the +church, while the more hysterical fainted. Even strong men were for a +second startled. +</P> + +<P> +But from his eminence at the altar Father Gaspard saw their mistake and +soon reassured them. +</P> + +<P> +Meanwhile, the innocent cause of all the disturbance had been as much +scared by the team as had the half-witted boy by him, and was making +for the deep woods at his best pace. +</P> + +<P> +One night, early in July, Alec Pierre, a wood-chopper, came to the +village with a startling story. He had been chopping two or three +miles back in the heavy timber. His own home was closer to the +primeval forest than any other of the many straggling farmhouses. +</P> + +<P> +He had taken his dinner, going and coming at morning and evening. Each +noon he went to a cool spring which he knew of, to eat his lunch. +</P> + +<P> +This noon he had gone as usual, only to discover that some one had +gotten ahead of him. There by the spring, sitting upon his haunches, +was an enormous black bear. In his paws he was holding the +coffee-bottle, looking at it intently, while his countenance plainly +bespoke satisfaction with the discovery. +</P> + +<P> +While the woodsman was wondering what was the best thing to do, the +bear raised the bottle to his mouth, and biting upon the cork with his +teeth, pulled it out. Then he put the nose of the bottle in his mouth +and drank the contents with as much ease as if he had been the real +owner. +</P> + +<P> +"I so scart I jes' stan' there an' say nutting. He eat my doughnut, he +eat my pie. He act jes' like folks. Pretty soon I keep on looking +some more an' I see down in his har, round hees neck one peeg collar, +jes' like a dog. +</P> + +<P> +"Heem one beeg deevil. I so scart when he drink out uv de bottle, I no +say nutting. He eat my pie, I no say nutting. I 'fraid he take my gun +by the tree an' shoot me. By gar. +</P> + +<P> +"By and by he go way and I go up an' look. Perhaps I t'ink I been +dreaming. So I pinch my lage an' it hurt, an' then I look aroun' an' +there bar-track beeg as snow-shoe. +</P> + +<P> +"Eet so queer I t'ink heaps an' heaps. Then pretty soon I t'ink he +some puddy tame bar run away. He break he chain. That why heem +collar. I say to myself, no chain, no collar. +</P> + +<P> +"Heem one tame bar run away. He know how do treeks. I catch heem in +one small log-house I beeld. When circus come round next week, or two, +I seel heem get pig money." +</P> + +<P> +Those villagers who listened to Alec's tale agreed that his reasoning +was good, but most of them characterized the story as one big lie, and +thought no more of it. But not so Alec. He had seen that day in the +wood the most wonderful sight of his life, a bear eating like folks, +and he could not get out of his head the idea that the capture of that +bear meant a fortune to the trapper who should accomplish the feat. +</P> + +<P> +Perhaps, there was also some superstition linked with his curiosity, +for nearly all Canucks are superstitious; but at any rate the very next +day he set about building the trap that should capture the "deevil +bar," and make him a rich man. +</P> + +<P> +The trap upon which Alec relied for the capture of Black Bruin was a +pen-trap. It was made in the following manner: +</P> + +<P> +Alec looked about until he discovered four trees, growing in two pairs +ten or twelve feet apart. These sets of pillars were to be the four +corners of the trap. He then set to work to cut small logs eight or +ten inches in diameter. These were a couple of feet longer than the +pen was to be and were built up one above another on the inside of the +pillars, being held in place against the trees by strong stakes driven +deep into the ground. +</P> + +<P> +In this manner the two sides and the back end of the pen-trap were +formed. The top was covered with poles, weighted down with stones. +The trap-door, which was at the front, was made of plank and slid up +and down in a groove. When it was raised, it was held in place by a +cord which passed over the top of the pen-trap and down on the back +side, finally attaching to a trigger connecting with a spindle inside +the pen, at the farther end. The bait was to be placed on this spindle +and a tug upon it would let go the trap-door. As this was weighted +with stones, it came down with a bang and anything unfortunate enough +to be inside was caught in a prison of great strength. +</P> + +<P> +It took Alec two days to build the trap, and when it was finished he +carefully removed all chips and traces of his carpentering. +</P> + +<P> +Usually a bear will not go near anything so new and apparently man-made +as a green pen-trap. So Alec did not expect success for several days. +In the meantime he took pains to bait Black Bruin and keep him in the +vicinity by placing near the spring meat and other food, that his +woodsman's instinct told him would be appreciated by a hungry bear. He +did not forget an occasional bottle of coffee. Although he did not see +the bear again for several days, yet the meat and the coffee always +disappeared, which was pretty good evidence that he was near by. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin heard Alec hacking and hewing at the trap, but did not +consider it anything out of the ordinary. This queer creature was +always hacking and hewing at the trees. He had often seen his +handiwork piled up in long straight piles. Once for mere amusement he +had scattered a pile in every direction. +</P> + +<P> +When he at last came suddenly upon the pen-trap one day, after it had +been baited for some time, he gave a surprised grunt and backed off a +few feet to get a better view. It looked very queer and very +suspicious. He was quite sure that it had not been there a week ago, +for he was well acquainted with the region. +</P> + +<P> +It was made of trees, but trees usually grew upright, and they always +had limbs upon them. The ends of the logs were hacked and green like +the sticks in the wood-pile. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin circled around and around the pen-trap, gradually drawing +nearer and nearer to it. Finally he came close enough to peep in at +the doorway. Inside it was rather dark, but at last he both saw and +smelled the calf's head that hung from the spindle. Meat had also been +rubbed about the doorway, which was most tantalizing, especially as +Black Bruin had not had any for three days. +</P> + +<P> +He licked the particles of meat that still stuck to the logs about the +doorway and then started to go in, but it seemed dark and suspicious; +beside there was a very faint suggestion of man-scent inside. Outside +the rain and the wind had obliterated all foreign scents. Man-scent +meant danger. Man was no friend of the wild creatures, so Black Bruin +backed out and very reluctantly went away. +</P> + +<P> +When Alec visited his trap the next day, he did not go near enough to +see the bear-tracks in the fresh dirt about the door, for he did not +care to leave fresh man-scent in its vicinity; so he was rather +discouraged with the failure of his efforts. The trap had now been set +for a week and nothing apparently had been near it. +</P> + +<P> +The next day Black Bruin again visited the trap, but his suspicions +were still keen and as he had killed a wood-chuck that morning, his +appetite was not ravenous, so he again left the bait untasted. +</P> + +<P> +The third time that he came near the spot, which somehow had a +fascination for him, he smelled a new and bewitching odor, one that a +bear is almost powerless to resist. It brought back to his mind that +old tantalizing picture of the row of white beehives in the back yard +of the farmhouse. +</P> + +<P> +The scent made his mouth drip saliva, and his manner, which a moment +before had been suspicious and guarded, was now eager and full of +curiosity and impatience. +</P> + +<P> +He went at once to the doorway of the pen-trap and thrust in his head. +It was as he had thought,—the ravishing scent came from inside. +</P> + +<P> +He sniffed several times and with each whiff of the honey became more +impatient. There, dangling from the spindle, was a section of the +coveted sweet. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin stepped inside and stretched out his muzzle toward the +honey; then he detected a man-scent about the frame that he had not +noticed before. He backed out and the hair rose on his neck. +</P> + +<P> +He then smelled all about the sides of the pen. There was no +suggestion of man-scent there. Again he returned to the honey. +</P> + +<P> +The taint about that was certain, but the honey almost drove him +frantic. So with a sudden motion he snatched the coveted prize in his +mouth and gave a hard tug at it. He would seize it before the +man-scent had power to injure him and then flee. +</P> + +<P> +But quick as were the motions of Black Bruin, the trap was quicker, for +the moment the trigger was loosed, the cord let go the drop-door and +down it came with a great bang. The bear was suddenly in darkness. +</P> + +<P> +With a loud "Uff" he dropped the honey and turned in the pen, but the +doorway by which he had entered was closed. He sprang upon it with a +growl and pushed with all his might, but he was pushing against the +pillars, which were two trees nearly a foot in diameter, and he might +as well have pushed against the side of a cliff. +</P> + +<P> +Then he whirled about and, seizing the spindle in his mouth, pulled +violently upon it, but it availed him nothing. +</P> + +<P> +Then he assailed first one wall and then another in rapid succession. +He tore the bark and also great pieces from the logs with his teeth, +but the logs were thick and he merely strewed the inside of the trap +with bark and splinters, leaving it still as strong as ever. Then he +braced crosswise upon the trap and tried to push the logs from their +places. They gave a very little when he put forth his giant strength, +but the effort was futile. +</P> + +<P> +Then he stood upon his hind legs and tried to reach the poles overhead +with his paw, but the trap was too high for this. +</P> + +<P> +For hours he raged and tore at the logs which held him so effectively. +He stripped the inside of the pen entirely free of bark, and littered +the floor with a bushel of splinters; but all his tearing and biting, +pushing and straining, prying and growling, availed him nothing. +</P> + +<P> +At last his great strength was worn out and in the place of rage at +being restrained fear came over him. It was man that had done this +thing. The scent on the honey-frame plainly said as much. He was +again in the clutches of that dread creature. +</P> + +<P> +Now his fear grew tenfold. The giant lay down in a corner, as far as +possible away from the honey that had cost him his freedom, and cowered +like a whipped dog, with his head between his paws and fear clutching +him like an awful force that he was powerless to resist. +</P> + +<P> +The following morning when Alec visited his trap, he found to his great +joy that it was sprung. Going up cautiously, he peeped through a crack +between the logs. There was the gigantic black bear cowering inside. +</P> + +<P> +When Alec's eyes became accustomed to the gloom of the pen, he saw that +the bear wore the heavy collar about his neck, although it was deeply +imbedded in the fur, and at this assurance, Alec gave a shout of +delight. +</P> + +<P> +"Heem, my deevil bar, sure enough," he exclaimed, and at the hated +man-sound Black Bruin drew farther into his corner. +</P> + +<P> +That afternoon an ox-cart, bearing a mammoth crate made of two by four +timbers, came creaking into the woods and was backed up to the +pen-trap. For an hour or so there was a sound of hammering while a +plank-covered gangway was being built from the pen-trap to the strong +crate. +</P> + +<P> +Then, to the great astonishment of Black Bruin, the door of the +pen-trap slowly lifted, and the way to freedom seemed plain. +</P> + +<P> +With a sudden rush he scrambled up the gang-plank into the crate, and a +second trap-door, as strong as that in the pen-trap, closed behind him +and he was a prisoner in a new house. +</P> + +<P> +For a long time Black Bruin could not realize that he was still a +prisoner. The light streamed in between the strong bars. He could see +his captors all about him. They were three excited, gesticulating men, +all dark, and to Black Bruin's eyes, sinister-looking like Pedro. +</P> + +<P> +He put his paws between the bars and strained with all his might. +</P> + +<P> +They pounded his paws and prodded him to make him desist, but he did +not mind their blows any more than he would those of a child. Freedom +was so near at hand. The green woods, the sweet wild woods, his woods +were all about him. The blue sky was above him. The fragrant wind +blew fresh through his prison-bars. +</P> + +<P> +It could not be that he was helpless so near to freedom. Presently +these strong bars would break and he would rush into the wilderness and +flee far from the haunts of men. +</P> + +<P> +Then the slow and curious procession started. One of the men drove the +cattle and the other two walked by the side of the crate, prodding and +beating Black Bruin whenever he strained too frantically at the +prison-bars. +</P> + +<P> +Slowly they drew out of the woods with its long dark shadows and its +aroma of pine and balsam. Gradually the forest with its dells and its +thickets, its ferns and witch-hazel, its bird-song and its chattering +squirrels, its sense of freedom and peace, was left behind and they +emerged into dusty roadways bordered by fields of grass and grain. +</P> + +<P> +This was the habitat of man, his world, with which Black Bruin +associated a chain and a collar, a sharp stick and curses and endless +tricks. +</P> + +<P> +At last he ceased to struggle and strain and stood with his head at the +rear of his cage, looking back at his vanishing world. Slowly the +green plumes of the forest faded. Even the outline of the distant +mountains was at last lost and the flat farmlands, dotted with +farmhouses and carpeted with grain-fields, took its place. +</P> + +<P> +The old world and the old life were left far behind, and when the last +blue hilltop faded, the heart went out of Black Bruin. He no longer +exulted in his strength and his cunning, for man had again undone him. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap14"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER XIV +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE WRECK +</H3> + +<P> +For weary hours the ox-cart plodded along the country road, and at last +the long shadows deepened into twilight and the stars came out and it +was night, but still they journeyed on. +</P> + +<P> +The soft night-winds quickened into being the fragrance of many a +flower that had not been noticed in the full heat of day. But wind and +fragrance, night and daylight were all the same to Black Bruin, for +that which made the world beautiful, and his strong free life worth +living, was gone. Freedom was no longer his, and he cowered upon the +floor of his prison, laid his head between his paws, and acted more +like a whipped puppy than the great strong brute that he was. +</P> + +<P> +Finally the ox-team drew up at a long, low building, and the men +unloaded the crate upon a narrow platform. +</P> + +<P> +Here they were soon joined by another man who came from the building. +</P> + +<P> +"How long before the night freight ter H—— comes along, Bill?" +drawled one of the men in charge of Black Bruin. "Alec, here, has got +a bar as big as a cow that he is a-takin' to the circus which'll be at +H—— to-morrow. He don't want to miss it." +</P> + +<P> +"It's due now," replied the station-agent, and even as he spoke, the +shrill whistle of the freight sounded in the distance. +</P> + +<P> +A little later Black Bruin heard a distant rumbling and clanging which +was like nothing that he had ever heard before. Then there was a +vibration of the solid floor under him, and the long, heavily loaded +freight thundered down upon the little station. +</P> + +<P> +As the hideous, clanging, shrieking, hissing monster rushed down upon +them, coming seemingly straight for the wooden crate, Black Bruin +sprang against the bars with such violence that he nearly tipped it +over, and gave his captors a great scare. +</P> + +<P> +In a very few minutes, however, the crate, together with the other +freight, was hustled into an empty car, and the train pulled out and +went thundering away into the darkness. +</P> + +<P> +At first the motion made Black Bruin very uneasy, and he walked to and +fro continually; but finally this was succeeded by his being car-sick, +and he was soon glad to lie down and keep very still for the rest of +the journey. +</P> + +<P> +This was his first night upon a freight train, but it was not his last, +for ahead of him was a strange and turbulent existence. He was going +to the great city to join the circus, to be a part of that astonishing +procession which annually parades the streets of our large cities, and +which draws crowds, such as does no other entertainment. +</P> + +<P> +Toward morning, after having made several stops, the car in which Black +Bruin was a passenger was side-tracked, and a large, gilded wagon, +known to the small boy as a circus-van, was backed up to it. Then the +crate was placed against the cage on the van, and both doors were +opened. +</P> + +<P> +The new prison looked much more fragile than that in which Black Bruin +was. The bars were very small and might be easily broken. It was +lighter, too, than his present abode, so after a little poking and +punching, the captive went into the other prison, and a moment later, +when he turned about to look for the doorway by which he had entered, +it was closed and the wooden crate was being taken away. Man had again +outwitted him, but the manner in which he was now confined seemed very +insecure to Black Bruin. He would soon either find a way out, or else +make one. With this in view, he went about the cage several times, +sniffing and poking his nose between the bars. He put his powerful +arms between two of the bars and strained upon them with all his +enormous strength, but they did not seem to give at all. Then he +sought to grind one to splinters between his teeth, but instead he +broke a tooth, and the effort made him see stars. +</P> + +<P> +What new and amazing substance was this, which could not be bent or +broken, or even bitten into? The more Black Bruin pushed at the iron +bars of his cage, the fainter grew that spark of hope which is the +mainspring of all life, until at last he ceased to hope altogether, and +bowing to the inevitable, no longer sought to be free. Sullenly he +glared at the gaping crowds that passed his cage daily, and the only +thing to which he looked forward was his food. This he received each +day at about noon. +</P> + +<P> +What it all meant, he could not imagine. The great crowds, the blare +of bands, the gala dress and the babel of voices all reminded him of +the country fairs that he had often attended with Pedro, in the old +dancing-bear days. +</P> + +<P> +The long journeys by rail he soon got used to, so that he was no longer +sick, but it was a weary existence. The snap and rattle of car-wheels +was continually in his ears, and if it was not that, it was the rattle +and the rumble of heavy wheels over paving-stones, the noise of the +brazen-throated circus-band, or the high and insistent calliope. +Noise, noise, noise everywhere. +</P> + +<P> +When the animals were fed, there was the roaring of the lions, the +snapping and snarling of wolves, jaguars, pumas, and the hideous laugh +of the hyena; the chattering of the monkeys, and the piping and +croaking of strange, tropical birds. And, more insistent than any of +these, the bellowing of the sacred cattle from India, and the belling +and bleating of strange deer, not to mention the cavernous trumpeting +of elephants when their keepers prodded them into obedience. +</P> + +<P> +There is but one law in the circus, and that is the law of fear. All +the wild beasts are ruled by it alone. The tricks that the great cats +do are clubbed into them, and the elephants' ears are often so torn by +the trainer's iron that they hang in ribbons. +</P> + +<P> +It is only with the domestic animals, like the horses and the +trick-dogs, that the trainer can exercise gentle persuasion. So in +this great arena, this bedlam of wild beasts, were often heard the +blows of club and lash, and the sharp report of pistols fired in the +faces of unruly big cats. +</P> + +<P> +How the two mammoth tents, covering many acres, and a dozen smaller +ones came and went was a mystery to the general circus-goer. In the +forenoon they went up like white mountains, and in the evening, almost +before the last spectator had left his seat, they began to come down. +Sometimes in half an hour after the last whistle had sounded, the tents +and all the circus paraphernalia were packed in wagons and rumbling off +to the depot. It was a life of hustle and bustle, jostle and push, +here to-day, and a hundred miles away tomorrow. +</P> + +<P> +The small boy, who was up before the first pale streak of light +appeared in the east, and off to the freight-yards to see the four or +five long circus trains come in, could have told you something about +the marvelous way in which circus-men handle their strange caravan. +There was always a crowd of these enterprising urchins standing +wide-eyed and with gaping mouths, while the circus wonders were being +unloaded. +</P> + +<P> +They could have told you that the great gaudy vans were loaded on a +train of flat cars, and that a single horse working a rope and +pulley-block trundled the vans from the train nearly as fast as their +respective teamsters could hitch horses to them and drive away. These +boys knew that the stake and chain wagon was always the first to leave +the train. Some of them usually fell in behind it and followed to the +circus grounds, for it was good sport to see men with heavy +sledge-hammers drive the many stakes and stretch the long chain which +formed the perimeter of the mammoth tent, and behind which all the vans +would ultimately take their places. +</P> + +<P> +After the stake and chain wagon, came wagons bearing the cooking and +dining tents, for breakfast is a most important matter when you have +five hundred hungry people to feed. By nine o'clock the vast concourse +were all on the circus ground, breakfast was over and preparations for +the great parade were on foot. Nearly everything in the circus, with +the exception of the side-shows, had to take part in the parade. +</P> + +<P> +Only the small boy, who stands upon the pavement, holding to lamp-post +or iron hitching-post to steady himself in the wild excitement, can +tell you how his heart races and his blood leaps as the first gilded +chariot swings around the corner into the main street. Thoughts of +this moment have been in the boy's mind for weeks, and the realization +is always greater than his anticipation. No matter if it is a small +one-horse show, the hallucination of paint and tinsel, and gleam and +glitter are there, and what a concourse it is! To get together this +strange medley of men and women, beasts, birds and reptiles, the ends +of the earth have been scoured. All Asia, from Siberia to India is +there. Africa is represented from the Nile to Cape Town. The steppes +of Russia and every out-of-the-way corner of Europe have been visited +by the agents of the showman, and the result is legion. South America, +with the wonders of the Amazon and the pampas and the high fauna of the +Andes, is there. Our own continent also contributes largely, for the +Rockies and the Selkirks still hold wonders for the eyes of youth. +Even if we could contribute no wild beasts, there would still be ample +reward for the boy in viewing our Indians, cow-punchers and real live +scouts, such as our border-life alone can furnish. +</P> + +<P> +It was as a feature of such a motley procession as this that Black +Bruin's van was daily rattled over the paving-stones and finally took +its place each day in the mammoth tent behind the chain, in readiness +for the noon feeding. His van always followed that of a den of gray +timber wolves and was in turn followed by the great white polar bear. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin often wondered why his large cousin from the Arctic Circle +spent so much of his time swaying to and fro. It was a queer trick +that he had, whenever he was not in his tank of water, of forever +swaying back and forth, back and forth. Black Bruin often felt fairly +frantic himself, and would pace to and fro for hours, but he could see +no relief in this continual swaying. +</P> + +<P> +Although he had been sold to the circus-agent as a trick-bear, who +could take stoppers out of bottles and do other marvelous tricks, yet +he was so morose during the first summer of his circus life that the +keeper could do nothing with him as a trick-bear; so he merely paraded +as one of the wild beasts. +</P> + +<P> +Men, women and little children came and went in front of his cage by +the thousands and ten thousands. Often the keeper would reach in with +a stick and poke Black Bruin to make him growl, for this amused the +children. He soon learned what was expected of him, and would growl +almost before the stick touched him. +</P> + +<P> +In the hot, stifling summer days, when his cage seemed so cramped and +unendurable, how Black Bruin thirsted for the woods, he alone knew. +Sometimes he would fall asleep and dream of the old free life, only to +wake to the torment of his prison-bars. +</P> + +<P> +There was but one incident during the first year of Black Bruin's +circus life that is worth mentioning. The circus was showing in a +fair-sized city in Northern New York, in St. Lawrence River County. +The day was exceptionally warm, the crowd was unusually large and the +torment of captivity was unusually galling to the wild beasts. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin was restless and paced to and fro in his cage, and sniffed +its bars more often than usual. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly from out the babel about him a voice spoke that fell +pleasantly on his ear and in the sound was something that he +remembered. When the voice ceased speaking, some psychological +reaction slipped a slide in the brute mind, the impression of which had +been gained many years before, and the great bear saw, as plainly as he +had seen it then, the farmhouse with the chicken-coops in the front +yard, and ducks, geese, turkeys and hens all moving about over the +green turf. There was the barn and the outbuildings and the long low +hen-house where he had so often robbed the hens' nests. Then the scene +shifted slightly and the dreamer saw the orchard at the back of the +farmhouse with its gnarled and twisted trees and the row of little +white houses in the shade near by. "Hum, hum, zip—hum," went the bees +flying in from their long quest afield in search of the heart secret of +the floral world. But whether it was the droning of bees or the hum of +many voices that he heard Black Bruin could not tell. +</P> + +<P> +At this point in his reverie he looked through his bars at three of the +circus-goers who were evincing peculiar interest in him. These were a +man, a woman, and a boy of about nine years. +</P> + +<P> +"What a fine bear," the man was saying; "much larger than the old +female that I shot on that——" But the man did not finish the +sentence, for noticing the pallor that crept into his wife's face at +his words and the shiver that ran through her frame, he desisted. +</P> + +<P> +"Look here, sonny," he continued to the boy, "if we had been able to +have kept Black Bruin until now he would probably have looked just +about like this old chap. What do you think of that?" +</P> + +<P> +"Whew," whistled the boy. "Ain't he a monster? Our bear wasn't more +than a quarter as big." +</P> + +<P> +"No," replied the man. "That was because he was not grown, but he was +a fine cub when we let the peddler have him. I have often wondered +what became of him." +</P> + +<P> +"Wasn't Bar-bar cunning," exclaimed the boy, "when he was a little +fuzzy fellow and I used to roll about with him on the floor and pull +his ears, just like the photograph you had taken of us." +</P> + +<P> +"Come, John, let's look at some of the other animals," said the boy's +mother. "Bar-bar was all right, but it gives me the shivers to look at +a full-grown black bear like this." So the three moved on to the +wolf-den. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin sniffed the bars of his cage where the man's hand had +rested upon it for a moment, as the three moved away. The man-scent +too awoke strange memories which he could not understand. It was like +coming upon a well-remembered spot in a stream where he had once +captured a large salmon, or some burrow under a stump where he had dug +out a luckless rabbit. But soon even the remembrance of the pleasant +voices, that in some strange way suggested something dim and distant, +was forgotten, the man-scent on the bars of his cage was obliterated, +and Black Bruin was back in the old rut, bumping and thumping over +paving-stones and seeing his van continually being rolled on or off the +flat car which carried it. +</P> + +<P> +Finally the long hard trips were over for that season and the circus +went into winter quarters. +</P> + +<P> +This winter Black Bruin did not hibernate as he usually did, but spent +the time in a series of short naps. Each day he came forth from his +improvised den to stretch and to eat. Toward spring, by dint of much +coaxing and liberal rewards of sugar and honey, the keeper got upon +good terms with him and finally discovered most of his tricks. +</P> + +<P> +When the next season opened, the prisoner found that he was to have a +little more freedom and a rather more varied existence than that of the +year before. +</P> + +<P> +Upon the circus bills he appeared as Napoleon Bonaparte, the wonderful +trick-bear; and there was a striking and astonishing picture of him in +the act of opening a bottle and drinking from it. +</P> + +<P> +Small boys stood spellbound before this picture, and they were still +more astonished when the real live bear was led into the ring and +marched up and down with a wooden gun upon his shoulder, while the +performance of his bottle-trick always created a rustle all over the +tent. This was the surest sign of a great hit. +</P> + +<P> +So now each day, in addition to appearing in the grand cavalcade and +the street-parade, Black Bruin had to come into the ring each afternoon +and evening and go through his senseless tricks. +</P> + +<P> +The only thing that kept him good-natured and up to the mark, was the +fact that his bottle was always filled with some pleasing drink, so he +had that to look forward to after each performance of the trick. There +were also sweets in waiting for him when he came out of the ring. +</P> + +<P> +Thus went the endless round. Here to-day and there to-morrow. In the +evening a magic city of white tents would be seen upon the grounds, but +by midnight all had been stowed away in four or five long trains, which +soon were thundering over the rails to a distant city, where for the +past three weeks posters had announced the coming of the circus. +</P> + +<P> +Thus the days and weeks of Black Bruin's second year in the circus +passed and they concluded the season at Nashville, Tennessee. Then all +the paraphernalia was loaded with even more care than usual, for they +were off for the long trip northward, to their winter quarters. +</P> + +<P> +That night when they loaded the elephants and the trick-ponies, some of +them hung back and refused to board the train, a tendency most unusual +on their part; but they finally obeyed the goad and lash and all were +stowed away in their customary places. +</P> + +<P> +It was about midnight when the train bearing Black Bruin's van pulled +out. One by one the cars bumped over the switch and the long train got +under way. At first the locomotive puffed and panted as though the +load were too great for it, but finally the train got up momentum and +the car-wheels sang their old song of +rat-a-clat-rat-a-clat-rat-a-tat-tat, while the engine assumed its +familiar song of +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Rushing, pulling, snatch the train along,<BR> +Tugging, pulling, locomotive strong."<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +This is the song that a locomotive always sings when it is off for a +long, hard pull. +</P> + +<P> +On, on through the darkness the train sped, the engine sending forth +showers of sparks that twinkled in the gloom like fireflies, and then +went out. +</P> + +<P> +But the most conspicuous thing about the train was the headlight, which +threw its long cylindrical shaft of light far ahead, like a mighty +auger of fire boring into the darkness. No matter how hard the engine +puffed and panted or how fast the drivers thundered over the rails, +this bright cylinder of light was always just so far ahead, +illuminating the gleaming rails, flashing into deep cuts, lighting up +cliffs and forest, and long stretches of open fields. +</P> + +<P> +Black Bruin was not asleep in his cage, as he usually was on long +journeys like this. Somehow, he felt restless and ill at ease. He +sniffed his bars often, but the heavy shutters were down and no sign of +freedom was at hand. Yet in some unaccountable manner, the wind +sucking through the cracks between the shutters blew fresher and +sweeter than usual. It tasted of pine-woods and deep tangles of +swamp-land, where all the roots that a bear likes grow. +</P> + +<P> +The train had left the low-lying lands far behind and was coming into +the foothills—those friendly steps by which tired feet climb to the +mountains above. It was rushing down a steep grade, traveling by its +own momentum, upon a rather precipitous pathway cut in a side hill, +when something happened. Perhaps it was a broken rail, or maybe a +great boulder had toppled down the mountainside and lay upon the track; +but the important thing was that suddenly, without a second's warning, +the engine bucked like a balky broncho, and after one or two mad +plunges along the roadbed, toppled over the bank and rolled into the +gulley below. At the first impact of the locomotive with the long +train behind it, the freight arched its back and writhed and twisted +like a mighty serpent. Three of the cars went over the bank still +attached to the engine and the rest piled up on one another or rolled +down into the gulley, as fate willed. There was crash upon crash and +thunder upon thunder as the heavy cars piled in a frightful heap. +There was the groan of iron and steel being bent and broken, and the +crash and creak and crackle of breaking, grinding car-floors. +</P> + +<P> +When we add to this the roar of lions, the shrieking of horses, the +trumpeting of elephants, the snarling and snapping of wolves, jaguars, +hyenas and a chorus of other cries from the circus bedlam, the roar of +steam as it escaped through an open valve in the locomotive, and the +shriek of the whistle which blew continually, we can get some idea of +the wreck, as the gorgeous splendor of the barbaric show was piled in +ruins. +</P> + +<P> +It was such sights and sounds as these that greeted Black Bruin as he +squeezed through the battered, broken door of his cage into freedom. +He had felt himself rolling over and over. First he was upon the +bottom of his cage and then standing upon the inverted roof. Three +times he bumped from the top to the bottom and back again in rapid +succession. What did it mean? His van had never acted like this. +</P> + +<P> +It was all so quick that he merely emitted a frightened bawl or two and +lay still, cowering in the corner of his cage. Then in some +unaccountable way he became aware that his cage-door was open. His +back was to it, but the wind that blew in upon him, was the wind of the +woods and the waters, and not the stifling, filtered wind of his prison. +</P> + +<P> +As this sense was borne in upon him, Black Bruin lost no time in +scrambling out through the opening. +</P> + +<P> +His first act on coming forth into the open air with the moon and the +stars and the free sky above him, was to stretch. He then looked about +him as though uncertain what was coming next. +</P> + +<P> +As he stood irresolute, looking first at the wreck and then away to the +outline of a great mountain that stretched above him, seeming to reach +up into the very heavens, the long, lithe form of a panther slipped by +him and melted into the darkness. A moment later a jaguar followed it; +they were going back to freedom. +</P> + +<P> +Then Black Bruin stretched his nose high in air and sniffed the fresh +untamed winds. They were sweet with the scent of the southern pine. +Suggestions of the persimmon fruit were also there and the tantalizing +odor of witch-hazel and other sweet scents that the bear knew not. +There was a clump of underbrush just ahead and into it Black Bruin +crashed. +</P> + +<P> +Weeds swished as he passed and the brush whipped his face. With bushes +parting and grasses and weeds bending at his coming, the old sense of +freedom came surging back to the escaped prisoner and he stretched out +his strong muscles, which had been so long cramped in the cage, and +shuffled up the side of the mountain at his best pace. Through +thickets and brambles he crashed with a wild exultation; up precipitate +crags he labored with feverish excitement and frenzy that grew with +each moment. He sniffed at the rustling fronds and mosses as he +passed, with wild delight. How fresh, how new, how satisfying the +wilderness was! +</P> + +<P> +Now racing through deep gulches, and now scrambling up steep bluffs +with sheer delight of motion, he fled. +</P> + +<P> +At last the moon set and the stars faded and from the heart of the +Cumberland Mountains, near the top of one of its most jagged and +unfrequented spurs, Black Bruin beheld his first sunrise in southern +skies. +</P> + +<P> +Slowly the east warmed and glowed until at last the golden disk mounted +over the top of a twin peak and gilded the mountain upon which Black +Bruin stood with a flood of golden sunlight. Birds began to twitter +strange songs in the tree-tops and thickets and the high peak sang for +joy at the sun's coming. +</P> + +<P> +At this auspicious moment, Black Bruin reared upon his hind legs and +placing his forepaws high upon the trunk of a sentinel pine, raked a +deep scar in the bark. This was his hall-mark;—the sign by which he +took possession of the mountain and the surrounding lowlands, just as +the discoverers did of old. +</P> + +<P> +This land was to be his, where he would dwell and seek his meat and +mate, and live the life of a wild beast to the end of his days. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Black Bruin, by Clarence Hawkes + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK BRUIN *** + +***** This file should be named 21398-h.htm or 21398-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/3/9/21398/ + +Produced by Al Haines + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Black Bruin + The Biography of a Bear + +Author: Clarence Hawkes + +Illustrator: Charles Copeland + +Release Date: May 9, 2007 [EBook #21398] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK BRUIN *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + + + + + + +[Frontispiece: BLACK BRUIN'S FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH A PANTHER] + + + + + + +BLACK BRUIN + +The Biography of a Bear + + +By + +Clarence Hawkes + + + +Author of + + Shaggycoat, The Biography of a Beaver + The Trail to the Woods + Tenants of the Trees + The Little Foresters + etc. + + + +Illustrated by + +Charles Copeland + + + +Philadelphia + +George W. Jacobs & Co. + +Publishers + + + + +Copyright, 1908, by + +GEORGE W. JACOBS AND COMPANY + + +_All rights reserved_ + +Printed in U. S. A. + + + + +Dedicated to + +My illustrator and friend + +MR. CHARLES COPELAND + + whose clever brush has caught so + perfectly each whim of nature in + field and forest, and called from + hiding the furtive furred and + feathered folk, who come and go + like shadows in the ancient woods. + + + + + THE GREAT BEAR OF THE MOUNTAINS + + He had stolen the belt of Wampum + From the neck of Mishe-mokwa, + From the Great Bear of the mountains, + From the terror of the nations, + As he lay asleep and cumbrous, + On the summit of the mountains, + Like a rock with mosses on it, + Spotted brown and gray with mosses. + --LONGFELLOW. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + URSUS, THE DROLL. INTRODUCTORY + I. A THIEF IN THE NIGHT + II. THE CHASE + III. A WILDERNESS BABY + IV. THE CUBHOOD OF BLACK BRUIN + V. A ROLLICKING ROGUE + VI. THE LIFE OF A DANCING-BEAR + VII. THE VAGABONDS + VIII. THE BEAST AND THE MAN + IX. LIFE IN THE WILD + X. THE GREAT BEAR-HUNT + XI. A PLEASANT COMPANION + XII. THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN + XIII. THE BEAR WITH A COLLAR + XIV. THE WRECK + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + +Black Bruin's first acquaintance with a panther . . . _Frontispiece_ + +The bear hurried in hot pursuit + +Black Bruin dealt the porcupine a crushing blow + +Growler sprang at Black Bruin's throat + +He discovered another bear, watching the stream + + + + +URSUS, THE DROLL + +INTRODUCTORY + +With the possible exception of the deer family, the bear is the most +widely disseminated big game, known to hunters. + +He makes his home within the Arctic Circle, often living upon the great +ice-floe, or dwells within a tropical jungle, and both climates are +agreeable to him, while longitudinally he has girdled the world. + +Of course bruin varies much, according to the climate in which he +lives, and the conditions of his life, but all the way from the poles +to the tropics he retains certain characteristics that always proclaim +him a bear. + +He is a plantigrade, walking like a man upon the soles of his feet. +There is more truth than poetry in Kipling's poem, "The Man Who Walks +Like a Bear," for some men do walk like a bear. + +Bruin's four-footed gait is a shuffle and a shamble, rather clumsy and +ludicrous, but it takes him over the ground at a surprising pace. +Queer, also, is the fact that the bear combines great dexterity with +his seeming clumsiness, as many a hunter has found to his cost. His +tree-climbing accomplishments are likewise remarkable, when we consider +his great size and weight. The grizzlies, and some other large +varieties, do not do tree-climbing, except when they are young. A +grizzly cub can climb a tree, but his wrists soon become too stiff to +permit of their bending about the trunk. + +Bruin's disposition also varies with the climate he inhabits. This in +turn is because his diet varies in differing latitudes. The farther +south he ranges, the more of a vegetarian he becomes. Consequently, he +is not so ferocious. The great white polar bear is largely +carnivorous, so he is a creature not to be trifled with; while on the +other hand, the little African sun bear is a rollicking, social, +good-natured little chap, weighing many times less than his fierce +cousin. + +Formerly, it has been supposed that the Numidian lion and the Bengal +tiger were the largest carnivorous animals in existence, but more +recent discoveries show that our Alaskan brown bear, found upon the +peninsulas of lower Alaska and Kodiak Island, is easily the master of +either, in size or strength. Some of the splendid skins taken from +these, the largest of all the bears, measure fourteen feet in length. +Alaska also gives us the smallest North American bear, the glacial bear. + +Californians are wont to tell us that the only true grizzly is that +found upon the cover of the _Overland Monthly_, but they overlook the +fact that the name was given to bears found along the Missouri River by +Lewis and Clarke, years before California, with all its wealth, was +discovered. + +In Russia, a fine specimen of the family is found in the Ural +Mountains. His peculiarity is a white collar about the neck, so his +Latin name, _Ursus collaris_, means the bear with a collar. All +through the Himalayas, this restless plantigrade has wandered, and even +far down upon the low-lying plains of India and China; but all the way +he shuffles and shambles and is the same droll fellow. + +The bear's vegetable diet consists of berries, nuts and many kinds of +roots. He will not refuse sweet apples and pears when he can find +them. In the tropics he eats nearly all the fruits that the natives +eat and leads altogether a lazy, luxurious life. Since food is +plentiful in these warm climates, he does not have to cross the path of +man to get it, or be forced to steal, as the bear living in colder +climes often does; so he is a good-natured, easy-going fellow, who will +let you alone if you do not pick a quarrel with him. This is much more +true of bears in general, than is usually supposed. + +In the tropics, the bear does not have to hibernate to keep the fat +that he has gained in the time of plenty upon his ribs. So his period +of sleeping is very short and in many cases he does not hibernate at +all; while, on the other hand, the bear of the cold northland sleeps +nearly half of the year. + +Hibernation seems to be a wise provision of nature by means of which +the bear conserves his flesh and strength during extreme weather. When +the ground is covered several feet deep with snow, it will readily be +seen that berry-picking would be difficult, and nuts and roots would be +hard to find, as would the ants and grubs under logs and stones, with +which the bear varies his diet in fine weather. The chipmunks and mice +have also denned up, so there is not much for bruin to do but sleep. + +There is one weakness that I believe the bear always indulges whenever +he can, no matter in what clime he be found, and that is a love for +sweets, especially honey. He will dare the sharp bayonets of the most +angry swarm of bees or climb the worst tree, if he feels at all certain +that there will be honey after his pains. In some countries, he +damages a great many telephone and telegraph poles and wires by +climbing the poles in search of that swarm of bees, which he imagines +he hears humming, inside the pole. + +In the temperate zone bears mate in the summer months and the young are +born late in January, during hibernation. Bear-cubs are very small +babies for such large parents, weighing much less in proportion to +their dams than most other mammals. They are blind, helpless and +almost hairless. + +As the old bear is very fat when they are born and they do nothing but +sleep in the dark den, they grow rapidly, so that when they are finally +brought forth at the age of perhaps four months, they have developed +wonderfully and would hardly be recognized as the tiny blind cubs of a +few weeks before. + +When the old bears first come forth from hibernation they eat very +little for two or three weeks. Their long fast and the inactivity of +the vital organs have greatly weakened the digestive parts, so they +must have time in which to recover, before they are made to do the hard +work of digesting flesh and bone. The bear, therefore, wisely contents +himself with grass and browse, living very much as a deer would, until +his digestive organs have regained their usual tone, when he will gorge +himself upon the first victim that he is lucky enough to catch. + +If Bruin lives in the vicinity of civilization, he would prefer to +break his fast with tender young pig. Pig, to the bear, is what +'possum is to the negro. He will travel for miles and take risks that +he does not often expose himself to, if thereby he can secure a +squealing porker. + +The sire and dam do not hibernate together and they are seen together +only during a few weeks of their honeymoon. + +Winter quarters are usually found under a fallen tree-top, or in some +natural den in the rocks. If a suitable place cannot be secured, the +bear will even do some excavating on his own account, but they +generally choose a den that nature has provided. + +The smaller bears which are usually known as the black bear, are found +to be both black and brown. Cubs of both colors will often be +discovered with the same mother, but the brown variety is not found +east of the Mississippi River. The really black bear also varies in +color with the seasons, being darker and glossier in the cold months. + +To see a bear really enjoy himself is to discover him in the blueberry +lot, standing upon his hind legs, swooping the berries into his mouth +with ravenous delight. At such a time his grin of benevolence is very +apparent. + +The cubs den up with the old bear the first fall, but usually shift for +themselves when the new cubs come, although it is not an infrequent +sight to see an old bear with two sizes of cubs following her. + +As a rule, the different varieties of black bear are not dangerous. +While they will occasionally charge the hunter when wounded, they +usually flee away at their best pace when danger appears. + +Even when interested with berry-picking or hunting, the bear is +watchful and wary and as his scent and hearing are of the keenest, he +is hard to surprise. It is probably true that his eyesight is not as +keen as his other senses. + +The black bear is hunted both on the still hunt, and with dogs. When +dogs are employed, a large pack is used, and they merely run the bear +until it is treed or brought to bay, when it is shot by the hunter. +Dogs are of little, if any, use in hunting grizzlies. + +There are several varieties of large bears, probably all variations of +grizzlies, which are differentiated locally. Some of these are the +roachback, the silver tip, the California grizzly, the plains bear, the +smut-face, etc. + +In the olden days before the grizzly became wise, he would charge +anything that walked either on two or four feet. But he has now +learned all about firearms, and is as willing to run from the hunter, +as is his cousin, the black bear. + +The bear's manner of hunting large game is usually by ambush. As most +of his victims are more fleet of foot than he, he does not undertake to +run them down in the open, but if he can get them at disadvantage in +thick cover, or at the lick, this is his opportunity. + +In the Adirondack country and in Northern Maine, it is a common sight +to see a young bear about a farmhouse, where he is as much at home as +the farm-dog. Many of the summer hotels, in this region, keep a tame +bear to amuse the visitors. + +These bears are obtained as cubs from any one who is fortunate enough +to discover a bear's den and who has the good luck to find the old bear +away from home and the cubs at his mercy. + +A likely cub can usually be obtained in either Maine or Northern New +York for five or ten dollars. + +Bears occasionally stray down the Green Mountains into Western +Massachusetts, where they inhabit the Hoosac Mountains, which are a +continuation of this range. + +Very recently a bear was killed near October Mountain, upon Mr. +Whitney's extensive game-preserve. He had been hanging about the +mountain all summer and had given two belated pedestrians a lively +sprint only the night before his Waterloo. Being emboldened by the +seeming servility of the neighborhood, bruin finally went to a +farmhouse and, forcing the kitchen door, marched boldly into the +well-ordered room to see what they were going to have for dinner. +While waiting for this meal, he amused himself by tumbling the pots and +pans about. This enraged the thrifty housewife, who seized a +double-barreled shotgun standing in the corner and discharged both +barrels simultaneously at the intruder. When the smoke cleared away, +it was discovered that she had bagged a bear weighing three hundred +pounds. + +The dancing bear of song and story, as well as of real life, has long +been the delight of children, but he is not now seen as frequently as +of yore. Bears in the circus to-day play a minor part in the +performance. + +This short introductory chapter is the pedigree and characteristics in +brief, of Ursus, the bear, whose varieties, like those of Reynard, the +fox, are legion. + +I have tried to give the reader some idea of the bear in general, but +these facts about bruin must be varied as the climate varies between +the arctic regions and the tropics. If a meat diet makes man cross and +brutal, and a fruit and vegetable diet makes him amiable and indolent, +they affect bruin in the same manner. + +But wherever you find a bear, be he a grizzly, black, or polar, basking +in the tropical sun, or freezing upon the ice-floe, he will still be +the same droll old chap, shuffling and shambling, sniffing and +inquiring with his keen nose. If he be the smaller black or brown +bear, he will often be found in the company of man, conducting himself +with dignity, and generally showing much good behavior for a wild beast. + + + + +Black Bruin + + +CHAPTER I + +A THIEF IN THE NIGHT + +Outside, the fitful early April wind howled dismally, swaying the +leafless branches of the old elm, and causing them to rub complainingly +against the gable end of the farmhouse. Two or three inches of fine +snow had fallen the day before and the wind tossed it about gleefully, +festooning the window-sashes and piling it high upon window-sills. It +was one of old winter's last kicks and made it seem even more wintry +than it really was. + +Although the wind moaned and the snow danced fitfully, within a certain +quaint farmhouse in Northern New York was warmth and comfort, all the +more apparent by the touch of winter outside. + +A cheerful fire was crackling in a large kitchen range, suggesting, by +its brightness and snapping, pine-knots full of pitch and resin. The +front doors of the stove were open and the firelight danced across the +room, filling it with cheer. It was one of those homelike kitchens +where everything is spick and span, and the nickel on the stove shines +like silver. + +A young farmer of perhaps thirty years was sitting with his shoes off +and his heels toasting upon the hearth, while his wife, a pretty, +rosy-cheeked country girl, of about his own age, sat in a large +splint-bottom chair, sewing. If it needed one more thing to complete +the cozy picture of simple, wholesome country life, it was not wanting, +for just at the wife's elbow was a cradle, which she occasionally +jogged with her foot, giving it just enough motion to keep it swaying +gently. In the cradle slumbered the heir of the household and the link +of pure gold that bound these two lives together. + +Everything in the room breathed contentment. The kettle hummed and +sputtered, sending forth its white cloud of steam, while the kitchen +clock ticked off the pleasant moments. + +The man was deeply interested in the weekly paper for which he had just +driven to the office, but he occasionally stopped to take a bite out of +a large red Baldwin apple that he found in a dish on the table near by. + +He was so engrossed in local items that he did not hear his wife's +excited question until it was repeated for the second time. + +"John, what is that?" she asked. + +"What is what?" he replied, laying down his paper that he might give +his full attention to her inquiry. + +"That noise on the piazza," she answered in a low tone. + +"I don't hear any noise," returned the man; but almost as he spoke a +slow shambling step made the floor-boards of the old piazza creak and a +heavy hand was laid upon the door. + +"Hello, who's there?" asked the man, for he could think of no one who +would be calling at the hour of nine, which is really late in a farming +community. + +But there was no reply to his inquiry, only the sound of a heavy step +moving up and down in front of the door. + +"Who are you, and what do you want?" repeated the young farmer in an +irritated tone, for he was both surprised and annoyed by the intrusion. + +For answer, the kitchen door began creaking and straining as though +great force was being exerted on it from the outside, and before the +astonished couple could exchange glances of amazement and incredulity, +with a mighty crash it tumbled in upon them, bringing one door-jamb +with it, and fell with a bang upon the floor. + +But the most astonishing thing of all was the figure that stood drawn +up to its full height in the doorway. + +The man and woman sat as though petrified, amazement and fear written +upon their pale faces, for there in the doorway, eyeing them intently, +and with no thought of retreat, was a large black bear. + +As the bear stood there, arms akimbo, bear fashion, her great white +teeth showing through half-parted lips, and the strong claws suggesting +what execution could be done by a well-directed blow, she was anything +but a reassuring visitor. + +The young farmer, feeling that something must be done to scare off this +hair-raising intruder, leaped to his feet in sudden desperation, and, +shouting at the top of his voice, seized the door and slammed it back +into the casing with all his strength, bumping the bear's nose +severely. Then he set his shoulder against it, and braced with all his +might. + +But his move was a bad one, for there was a short angry growl on the +outside and the next instant the door, farmer and all went spinning +across the room, the man falling heavily and striking against the stove +in the fall, and the great shaggy monster at once followed up her +advantage by shambling awkwardly into the room. + +The woman screamed and fainted, and then a gust of wind from the open +doorway blew out the light, leaving the kitchen in darkness. + +For a few moments the only sounds heard in the room were the ticking of +the clock, the humming of the teakettle, and the shambling steps of the +bear as she prowled about. But both of the figures on the floor were +unconscious of what was going on, while a bright stream of blood +trickled from a deep cut in the man's forehead. + +Finally he was aroused by a cold draft of air upon his head. He put +his hand to his forehead and saw that it was dripping with a warm +fluid. He then put his fingers into his mouth and tasted and knew that +it was blood. Then full consciousness surged into his throbbing head +and he remembered. + +There was no animate sound in the room and a terrible foreboding +chilled his heart. He listened for his wife's breathing, but no such +sound reached his ears. + +"Mary," he called in a whisper, "are you here?" But there was only the +ticking of the clock and the hum of the kettle. + +With an unspeakable fear he sprang to his feet, throwing off all +caution and cried, "Mary," in a loud voice, but with no better results. + +Then with a trembling hand he struck a match and by its feeble light +saw his wife lying on the floor like one dead. Kneeling beside her he +felt her pulse. It fluttered feebly and he knew she had only swooned. +A dash of cold water soon revived her and she sat up and looked +bewilderingly about. + +There upon the floor lay the door with the shattered jamb beside it and +in front of the stove was a bright pool of blood, but no bear was +visible. Then the match went out and they were again in darkness. + +Suddenly, with a paroxysm of fear, the woman sprang forward and +clutched in the darkness for the cradle; then with a wild, pitiful, +heartbroken cry, she fell to the floor. + +"Mary, Mary, what is the matter?" cried the bewildered husband, trying +with trembling fingers to strike another match. + +A moment it sputtered and then burned bright, and by the fitful light +the man beheld that which turned his blood to ice and his heart to +stone. The cradle was empty, and the baby was gone. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE CHASE + +When the sudden gust of wind from the open door blew out the light and +left the room in darkness, the great she-bear was not as much +inconvenienced as one might imagine, for the bear is something of a +prowler at night, doing much thieving and hunting when the darkness +screens its deeds, as he has a very good pair of night-eyes. + +Being thus left in darkness, the great brute stepped gingerly about, +taking care not to tread upon the two prostrate forms on the floor, +until she came to the cradle. There she stooped and investigated, +passing her tongue caressingly over the little sleeper's face. Then +with her great clumsy paws she drew the blanket in which the baby had +been wrapped about the sleeping child, and taking the loose ends in her +teeth, swung it clear of the cradle and held it as though in a hammock. + +Still standing erect, the bear edged carefully to the doorway, but once +on the piazza, where she felt sure that the way was clear, she dropped +on all fours, and started for the woods at a clumsy, shuffling trot. +But clumsy as the gait was, it took her over the ground rapidly, and +she was soon far into the forest. + +The heartbroken mother, after being brought back to consciousness, +could only sit and wring her hands and moan, "O John, John, my baby, my +darling, I shall never see it again." + +For a few moments the strong young man sat as though stunned by the +suddenness of the blow. His brawny arms were nerveless; the heart had +gone out of him, leaving him helpless as a little child. But presently +his strong manhood asserted itself, and a bright glitter came into his +keen, gray eyes. + +"Mary," he said, almost roughly, "stop taking on so and listen to me. +I am going after our child and with God's help I will bring him back." +The realization of the hopelessness of it all nearly choked him, but he +had to say something to quiet the look of misery and terror in his +wife's eyes. + +"I want you to stay right here until I come back. I am a strong man +and a good shot and no harm will come to me. No matter how long I am +gone, or how lonely you get, you are not to stir from the house. Do +you hear?" + +The young mother looked at him in a dazed manner as though she but half +comprehended, but at last a look of understanding and eagerness came +into her eyes. + +"I am going too," she said. + +The man had foreseen and feared this and had tried to forestall it. + +"No," he said, roughly, "you cannot go. Stay right in this room until +I return." + +As he spoke he took down an old double-barreled gun, and drawing the +shot in one barrel, rammed home a Minie ball that just fitted the bore. +This was a rude makeshift for a rifle, but it was the best he could do. + +Hastily slipping on his overcoat and cap, and tenderly kissing his +wife, he passed out into the darkness, on his hazardous and almost +hopeless mission. But before taking the trail, he went to the shed and +aroused an old hound who was sleeping upon a door-mat inside. + +"Here, Hecla," he called. "Come along. You may be of some help to me +to-night." + +Then tying a long piece of rope to the hound's collar, that she might +not follow too fast, he said, "Here, Hecla, good dog," indicating the +beast's track in the snow. "Sic, Si-c-c-c-c." + +As the strong bear scent fumed into the old hound's nostrils, the hair +rose upon her neck and she stood uncertain. + +"Si-c-c-c-c," repeated the man sternly. + +Reluctantly the hound took the trail, the man following close behind. +Across the mowing and into the pasture, and straight for the deep +woods, the track led. + +The man groaned as he thought of the hopelessness of his task;--to +follow a full-grown bear into the deep woods at night, and recover +safely from its clutches a little child. + +This was his only hope, though, so setting his teeth, and remembering +the pale face of his wife, the terror in her eyes, and his promise to +bring their boy back safely, he kept on swiftly and bravely. + +Fifteen minutes brought man and dog to the woods, and without +hesitation they plunged into its depths. It was not so easy going here +as it had been in the open. The rope was always getting tangled in the +underbrush, and a stop every few minutes to unloose it had to be made. + +Sometimes the man plunged up to his waist in the snow where it lay deep +in some hollow. Sometimes it was a dead limb lying across his path +that sent him sprawling. Occasionally the underbrush lashed his face +and tore his skin. But these were little things. Somewhere in the +interminable woods a great brute of a bear was perhaps at this very +moment--he dared not finish the thought, he could only groan. + +For half an hour they floundered forward, now slipping and sliding, and +now falling, but always up and on again. + +At last, when the man was almost winded, and his breath was coming in +quick gasps, a faint, far-off cry floated down to him through the +ghostly aisles of the naked wind-swept forest. At first it was so +faint as to be almost unintelligible, but as they pressed on, it grew +louder and clearer, until the man recognized the pitiful wailing of a +baby. + +"Thank God!" he gasped, "my boy is still alive." + +By this time the old hound had fairly warmed up to the chase and was +tugging on the rope and whining eagerly. + +To let the dog go on now might frighten the bear and thus defeat the +whole undertaking, so the man tied her to a sapling, and, bidding her +keep quiet, crept cautiously forward. + +A hundred feet farther on, the cries from the child grew louder. A +moment more and he caught sight of the bear leaning up against a large +beech, holding the baby in her strong arms. + +To the agonized father's great surprise the bear's attitude looked +almost maternal; she seemed indeed to be trying in her brute way to +soothe the infant. She caressed its face with her nose, and lapped it +with her long, soft red tongue. If it had been one of her own cubs she +could not have shown more concern. + +So much the frantic father noted, while he stood irresolute, uncertain +what to do next. The bear would have been an easy shot by daylight, if +there had been no baby to consider. But there was that little bundle +of humanity, the man's own flesh and blood, and a bullet in order to +pierce the bear's heart must strike within a few inches of the baby's +head. The task that King Gessler set William Tell, was child's play +compared with this. To shoot might mean to kill his own child, and not +to shoot might mean a still more terrible death for the infant. + +The child's wails now grew louder and more frequent. The old bear +became uneasy; in another moment she might flee farther into the woods, +or worse than that, might silence the little one with a blow or a +crunch of her powerful jaws. + +The desperate man raised his gun. The fitful moonlight shimmered and +danced upon the barrel, and the shadows from the tree-tops alternated +with the dancing moonbeams. He could see the sight but dimly and, +added to all this, was the thought that the gun was not a rifle, with +an accurate bullet, but an old shotgun loaded with a Minie ball. + +At first, his arms shook so that he could not hold the gun steady, but +by a mighty effort he nerved himself. For a second the moon favored +him; a moment the sight glinted just in front of the bear's left +shoulder, frightfully close to his child's head, and then he pressed +the trigger. + +A bright flame leaped from the muzzle of the old gun; its roar +resounded frightfully through the aisles of the naked woods, and its +last echo was followed by the startled cry of the infant. + +Dropping the gun in the snow, the man bounded forward, drawing a long +knife from his belt as he ran. Four or five frantic bounds carried him +to the foot of the beech, where the bear had stood when he fired. + +There in the snow lay the enormous black form, and close beside it in a +snowdrift, still nicely wrapped in its blanket, was the child, +apparently without a scratch upon it. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +A WILDERNESS BABY + +When the young farmer beheld the great hulk of the black bear lying +motionless at the foot of the beech, and saw his child lying unharmed +in the snow, his eye, that had been so keen at the moment of peril, +grew dim and his senses swam, like one upon a high pinnacle, about to +fall. + +But it was only for a second. His strong nerves soon restored him, and +he stooped and picked up the baby, although he was so blinded with glad +tears that he had to grope for the precious bundle. + +What a miracle it was, he thought; only the watchful care of a special +Providence could have steadied his hand for that desperate shot. The +more he considered, the more miraculous it seemed, and with a heart +welling up with praise and gratitude, he silently thanked God for the +deliverance, then woke the leafless forest with a glad, "Halloo." + +This was intended for the old hound, and she at once responded with a +quick succession of joyous barks. + +The man had been a little uncertain of the direction home, as he had +followed the trail feverishly, but the dog's greeting at once set him +right. Shielding the baby in his arms, and picking out as good footing +as he could in the uncertain light, he made all haste back to his +faithful canine, whose whines and barks guided him from time to time. + +"It's all right, Hecla, old girl, I've got him," he cried as soon as he +came within speaking distance of the dog. The father's joy was so +great that he had to impart it to some one. + +He lost no time in untying the dog and with her as a guide they were +able to follow the homeward trail through the darkest places in safety. +He must make all possible haste, for he remembered the look of mute +agony in his wife's eyes, as she stood at the door watching his +departure. + +"Home, home, Hecla!" he cried, each time they plunged into deeper gloom +than usual. "We must hurry." + +But the good dog needed no urging. Out and in, unerringly, she led +him, until the open pasture lot was reached. + +Then with a glad bark she bounded over the stone wall and started +across the fields at a pace that her master could not keep. He did not +call her back, for he felt sure that she could impart the glad news to +her mistress before his coming, and anything to relieve the suspense at +home was desirable. + +While the two had been floundering through the deep woods upon their +seemingly hopeless quest, the grief-stricken mother had paced the +kitchen floor, wringing her hands and moaning. Occasionally, as the +moments dragged slowly by, she would go to the piazza and listen until +it seemed that her ear-drums would burst with the intensity of her +effort, but only the moaning of the wind, and the usual night sounds +came to her ears. + +At last, in one of these anxious periods of listening, she thought she +detected the barking of old Hecla, but was not certain. Perhaps it was +only the wind playing pranks upon her overwrought nerves, or the +hooting of an owl. + +She waited expectantly and a few seconds later, hearing the old hound's +glad bark as she bounded over the wall between the pasture and the +mowing, knew that John had sent her with a message for the mistress of +Clover-hill Farm. There was something in the dog's bark that put hope +into her heart, and she ran to meet her. + +"Hecla, Hecla, old friend, what is it?" cried the mother, as the +faithful canine, panting from the hard run, capered breathlessly about +her mistress, wagging her tail and quivering with excitement. + +"Can't you tell me, Hecla? Is my baby safe?" + +For answer the dog gave several glad barks, and barking and capering, +plainly invited her mistress to follow her and see that she brought +good news. + +The mother, whose arms seemed so empty, was only too glad to do this. +It had only been because of her husband's stern command and for fear +that her presence might defeat the enterprise, that she had stayed at +home at all. + +With the trained sight of a woodsman, John saw them coming long before +his wife saw him, and he hallooed to them at the top of his voice. + +"It's all right, mother," he cried, "I've got little John." + +A few seconds later he placed the baby in its mother's arms and sank +down in the snow exhausted from his long, hard run. + +When he had recovered his breath and had gasped out a few words of +explanation, all hurried back to the farmhouse, the old dog leading the +way. + +In half an hour's time the cozy kitchen was righted. The door had been +rehung and the accustomed warmth and good cheer had returned to the +room, where the kettle hummed and the clock ticked just as though +nothing had happened. + +But to the young couple, who sat by the fireside talking it over, that +last half hour seemed like a nightmare. + +The following morning, when the first faint streak of daylight was +whitening the east, the young farmer and his faithful dog again took +the trail for the woods. + +How different was their going now, from that of the night before! +Then, an awful fear had gripped the man's heart, and the sympathetic +dog had felt her master's misery; but now, the man's step was quick and +joyous, and the dog bounded about him with barks of delight. + +The tracks made the night before were still quite plain, and they soon +came to the beech where the bear had stood when the hair-raising shot +was made. There lay the great carcass in the snow just as it had the +night before. + +The coat was long and glossy, of a deep black on the outside, and +rather lighter on the under side. Her forearms were strong and her +claws were most ample. Her jaw was massive, and altogether she was a +beast that one would not care for a close acquaintance with, especially +if she thought her young were in danger. + +It was useless to think of moving the prize without a team, so the +exultant farmer went home for a horse and a sled, and in half an hour's +time the huge bear was lying upon the porch of the farmhouse. + +News of the startling event spread rapidly and half a dozen neighbors +gathered to see the bear weighed. To the astonishment of all, she +tipped the beam at three hundred pounds, which is a few pounds short of +the record for the largest she-bear ever weighed. + +Two of the neighbors helped remove the fine skin and received some +bear-steak in return for their labor. + +Late in the afternoon, the now famous hunter again shouldered his gun +and set off for the woods, followed by old Hecla. He was not satisfied +in his own mind, that they had found out all there was to know about +the strange appearance of the bear at the farmhouse. If there should +be more "goods in the case," as he expressed it, so much the better; +but if not, he would keep his own counsel and no one would suspect that +he had been upon a second bear-hunt. + +He went directly to the tree where the dead bear had lain, and examined +the snow carefully. He soon found a well-defined trail that led +farther back into the woods. This he followed easily, and it brought +him to an old fallen hemlock, which was partly covered with snow. The +tracks led into the deepest, thickest portion of the top and there +ended at the mouth of a burrow that had been tunneled down underneath. + +The hunter got a long pole and prodded about in the tree-top until he +satisfied himself that there was nothing formidable inside. Then +setting his gun against a tree trunk, he crawled into the burrow. + +He had entered only three or four feet, when a weak, pitiful whine +greeted his ears. "Just as I thought," he muttered. "There are cubs +here." + +A few feet farther down he found them,--two astonishingly small +bear-cubs. One whined pitifully and struggled to his feet as though in +anticipation of supper, but the other was cold and stiff. It had +evidently been dead for some time. + +The excited bear-hunter took them both in his arms and clambered out of +the den, feeling well repaid for his search. + +Holding the cub that was still alive under his coat for warmth and +protection from the wind, he hurried home, while the hound leaped about +him and sniffed suspiciously at his coat. + +His wife was sitting in the cozy kitchen sewing, and occasionally +jogging the cradle, when he entered and, without a word of explanation, +dropped the live cub in her lap. + +"O John," she cried, "what a dear little dog he is. Where did you get +him?" + +"Under an old tree-top in the woods," he replied. "It isn't a puppy, +it is a bear-cub. + +"Here is his brother," and he held up the dead cub for her inspection. +"I guess the old bear came round and stole your baby to take the place +of her dead cub. There are tracks behind the house where she came up +to the window and stood upon her hind legs and looked in. Sort of +taking inventory, as you might say." + +The woman went to the north kitchen window and to her great +astonishment saw that her husband had not been joking. There were +bear-tracks, and also two large paw-prints upon the window-sill that +told of a silent watcher of their domestic fireside. + +A box was brought from the wood-shed and lined with an old blanket, and +milk was warmed for the little wilderness baby, that had found its way +so strangely into the farmhouse. + +It was ravenously hungry and the man held it, while the wife poured +warm milk, a few drops at a time, into its mouth. At first the process +was rather laborious, but after a few hours the young bear would gulp +down the warm milk gladly. + +Thus the bear-cub began his life at the farmhouse, lying in a warm box +behind the stove and drinking milk from a saucer. Most of his days and +nights he spent in sleeping, as is the wont of young animals, and this +was nature's sure way of making him strong and sleek. + +The following Saturday the farmer went to town, where he was much +lionized as a bear-hunter and the whole story had to be told over and +over to each one he met. That night at the supper-table he remarked to +his wife that he had seen Dave Holcome, a famous trapper and +bear-hunter in his day, and had asked him what he thought about the +bear's stealing the baby. + +"What did he say?" inquired the wife, all interest. + +"Wal," drawled her husband, in exact imitation of Dave, "bars are +durned curus critters, almost as curus as women. You can hunt and trap +'um all your life an' think you know all about 'um, then along will +come a bar that will teach you difrunt. There ain't no use in makin' +rules about bar ettyket, cuz ef you do, some miserable pig-headed bar +will break 'um all ter smash, jest like this 'ere one did. But I think +there is a good deal surer way uv accountin' for the critter's action +than what you say. It's my idee that he mistook the baby for a young +pig." + +"The wretch," exclaimed the indignant wife, but her husband only +laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. + +"You didn't get any mail, did you?" she asked, when his mirth had +subsided. + +"Yes, I did," he answered. "Here is a letter. I had forgotten all +about it." The letter proved to be from a town thirty or forty miles +to the north, and was as follows: + + +"DEAR SIR: I have been much interested in reading in our local paper +the account of a strange visitor that you had at your house early in +the week. I think I may be able to shed some light on that +extraordinary event. + +"About eight years ago I secured a bear-cub when it was still small and +brought it up in my household. There was at the same time in my family +a baby to which the cub became much attached. No dog was ever more +devoted to a child, than was the bear-cub as the two grew up together. +They were constant companions and were inseparable. + +"Finally the bear became so strong a partisan of the child that she was +really jealous of the rest of the family. She seemed to think that the +child belonged to her. The second summer on several occasions the two +strayed far from home. The bear seemed to like to toll the child away, +where she could have it all to herself. + +"One day when the boy refused to follow where its shaggy companion led, +the bear fastened her teeth in the man-cub's clothes and carried her +small master, kicking and protesting, to the woods, where both were +found some hours later. + +"I interfered at this point and shipped the bear away to a summer +hotel, where they wanted something to amuse the visitors. She soon +tired of the company and escaped to the wild. + +"Now I am confident that our old Blackie and your bear are one and the +same, but the matter is easily settled. Our bear had lost a toe on her +left hind leg, the consequence of getting in front of the mowing +machine in the tall grass when she was small. Please examine your +specimen in this particular and let me hear from you." + + +"The riddle is solved," exclaimed the husband excitedly tossing the +letter across the table to his wife. "I noticed the missing toe when I +removed the skin. It is a great relief to have the matter cleared up." + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE CUBHOOD OF BLACK BRUIN + +For several weeks the furry, fuzzy little bear in the box behind the +kitchen stove did little but drink milk and sleep. If he did crawl out +of his box on to the floor, it was simply to investigate the +surroundings, and he would go about the room, poking his nose into all +the corners, and sniffing suspiciously. + +But by degrees as he grew stronger and sturdier he evinced much +curiosity, playfulness and drollery, and to these characteristics would +have to be added, when he became partly grown, a kind of bear sense of +humor which was quite ludicrous. + +His first playfellow was the pillow which he tumbled off the sofa one +day. Having discovered that it was detachable, he always made for it +as soon as the spirit of play seized him. He would toss and tumble it +about, now standing it upon end and batting it over with his paw and +then rolling it over and over on the floor. + +The second object in the room that claimed his lasting attention was +pussy, but she was much more animated than the sofa-pillow. The first +time that the fuzzy little cub went up and smelted of her, she gave him +a savage cuff on the nose, which sent him whining to his box, and he +did not seek further acquaintance with pussy for several days. + +He would stand and look at her for five minutes at a time. This made +the cat very uneasy, and she would go about from place to place, trying +to get away from those small, bright, inquiring eyes. At last the cub +again got up courage to sniff at the old cat, and this time she did not +cuff him. + +As long as he was respectful, she did not mind him, but when he got too +playful or subjected her to indignities, pussy retaliated with that +sharp cuff on the nose, which always had the desired effect. + +Black Bruin, or Whiney, as he was sometimes called when he was a small +cub, soon learned to make his wants known. When he wished either milk +or water, he would set up the most comical little whine, which was +always effectual in getting it for him. One day he was given a saucer +which had a little maple syrup in it, and his delight knew no bounds. +After that he whined so long and frequently for syrup that he received +his nickname of Whiney. + +In the cool April evenings as they sat about the fire, the master would +often lift the small bear upon his knee, and let him sniff about his +clothing, and lick his hand with his long, narrow red tongue. Then he +would roll and tumble him about and Black Bruin would make believe to +bite at his master and chew at his sleeves. Finally, these evening +romps got to be a regular part of the farm-life, as much enjoyed by the +master, as by the cub. + +When May came, and it was warmer, so that the doors leading to the +wood-shed and the porch were left open, the little bear's world grew +apace. Before, his horizon had been the four walls of the kitchen; now +he could go and come as he pleased, about the yard and in the +outbuildings. + +He made the acquaintance of Hecla, the old hound, while he was still a +prisoner in the kitchen, but they came to know each other better when +the cub got out of doors. At first, the dog was inclined to attack the +small bundle of bear-meat, but her master calmed her anger, and +explained to her, as best he could, that Black Bruin was one of the +family and should be treated with respect and consideration. So +finally she became reconciled to his presence, but she never could get +over his scent, which always filled her with suspicion. + +When the cub got out of doors where he could run about and exercise, he +began to grow very rapidly in stature. Before, he had been a football +or a bundle of fur, but now he began to put on the semblance of a bear. + +He also developed a great genius for mischief. If I should tell of all +the things he overturned or upset, this chapter would be endless. + +A naturalist, who has reared several bear-cubs, says, "If you have an +enemy, give him a bear-cub. His punishment will be adequate, no matter +what his offense." But the young farmer and his wife did not think so, +and as for the baby who was now learning to walk, "Bar-Bar," as he +called the young bruin, was a never-ending source of delight. + +He would bury his wee hands in the fuzzy hair of the cub and pull with +all his might, and the cub would growl with make-believe fury, but it +seemed to know that the baby did not intend to hurt it, and did not +offer to bite. When the baby pulled its ears too hard, it would simply +run away. + +Outside, in the farmyard, among the chickens, turkeys, ducks, and +geese, at first the cub was rather shy, for the gobbler turkey, the +gander and the rooster all set upon him and drove him whining into the +woodshed; but he soon learned that all were afraid of his paws, when he +stood upon his hind legs and really hit out with them, so after that +discovery, he was master of all the feathered folk about the farmhouse. + +All about the farm-buildings the little bear followed his master. But +best of all he liked to go to the stable and watch the milking, for in +one corner was a small dish, into which he knew a pint of warm milk +would be poured as soon as milking was done. + +One morning the farmer heard a great noise in the hen-house. The hens +were kedacuting for dear life and he hastened to the scene of the +disturbance. What he discovered was both ludicrous and annoying, for +there by one of the nests was his small bear in the act of pawing out +an egg, while the empty shell of another upon the ground told only too +plainly that he had discovered the use of eggs. + +After that the hen-house was never quite safe from him. Whenever he +was caught inside, he was punished, but hens' nests that he found +out-of-doors were considered his natural plunder. + +June came, and the latter part of the month the bear-shadow followed +its master into the hayfield. Here it made a discovery that was much +to its liking. + +The bear was sniffing about as usual, poking his nose into all the +holes and bushes, when a low humming in the grass near by caught his +ear. + +It was a sound that has made bears smile ever since the first bear +licked up his first taste of honey. So Black Bruin crept cautiously +forward to investigate. As he advanced, the humming grew louder and +presently a small fury darted out at him. + +It was not much larger than a fly, but it gave him such a pin-prick in +the nose that he was angry, and so struck it down into the grass, and +crushed the life out of it with his swift paw. Then he crept closer to +the humming and buzzing, which was now quite ominous. Soon more of the +little furies came buzzing out, all of which he killed as he had the +first. + +When the bee-hunter had crushed the dozen bees comprising the nest, he +dug down to the secret hidden in the roots of the grass and found that +it was much sweeter than the maple syrup which they had given him at +the farmhouse. The nest was also full of white eggs or grubs which +were quite palatable. After that day, Black Bruin was a persistent +hunter for bumblebees' nests. + +From the bumblebees' nest to the hives of the honeybees in the orchard +back of the house was a very natural step, but the farmer had not +dreamed that the bear would discover the secret of the small white +houses. + +One afternoon he heard a great humming of the bees in the orchard, and, +thinking they were swarming, put on his bee-veil and went to +investigate. The sight that met his eyes filled him with both mirth +and wrath. There upon the ground was one of the hives overturned and +pulled apart. Many of the partly filled sections were thus exposed, +while others were empty of both comb and honey. + +The thief, who was none other than Black Bruin, was holding up a +section between his paws, while with his supple red tongue he licked +out the contents. Although the bees were swarming about him in a black +cloud and doing their best to punish the thief, he paid little +attention to them but licked away for dear life. + +Upon his droll countenance was a look of such supreme delight, that the +angry farmer ended by laughing heartily; but after that experience he +surrounded the beehives with a stout barbed wire fence. + +About the middle of July, or perhaps a little later, a neighbor's +children took Black Bruin to the blueberry lot. + +They had often romped and played with him, and he was glad to go, +although he could not be coaxed to follow a stranger. He shuffled +along in his droll bear manner, often stopping to sniff under a stone +or in some corner, where his wild instinct told him that there might be +something interesting. + +Arrived at the berry-field, the children began picking and for a time +Bruin sat upon his haunches and watched them, his red tongue lolling +out, for it was a hot mid-summer day. + +Finally, one of the children picked a handful of berries and offered +them to their four-footed companion, thinking it would be a good joke +upon him. To their surprise, he not only lapped up the berries with +keen satisfaction, but asked in plain bear language for more. + +He was so much pleased with the flavor of the new food that he finally +put his long red tongue into their pails, and they had to box his ears +severely. Then he went and sat down a little way off, seemingly much +abused. + +Soon the children heard a noise in a bush near by, as if some one was +picking, so they went to investigate. They found Black Bruin standing +upon his hind legs, while with both paws and his long tongue he scooped +the blueberries into his wide-open mouth. He was bending and thrashing +the bush about to get it where he wanted it, and did not see that he +was observed. Upon his droll bear face was written deep delight, for +another of earth's riches had yielded to his inquisitive nose and paws. + +After that he was often one of the party when the children went +berrying, but if the berries were scarce they preferred to leave him at +home. He was quite independent, however, and often went berrying by +himself. + +Blackberries he managed in the same manner, but when the thorns pricked +his tongue, he would growl and look astonished, as much as to say, "Now +what does that mean? I didn't see a bee about." + +Black Bruin also made other interesting discoveries in the pasture. +One day, either by chance or design, he turned over a small rotten log +and found that on the under side it was swarming with ants and grubs. +Then how his tongue did fly as he licked them up and how the ants +scampered in every direction trying to hide before he should get them! + +But ants and grubs were not the only game under the logs. One day when +he had turned over a larger log than usual, he was astonished to see a +tiny four-footed creature run squeaking out. Black Bruin hopped +clumsily after the field-mouse. Pat, pat went his heavy paws, but the +mouse ran this way and that, dodging and squeaking, and several times +he missed, although by this time he was quite expert with his paws. +Finally he landed fairly upon the poor mouse, and its life was crushed +out. Then he swooped it into his hungry mouth, and found it much +better than grubs and ants. After that, whenever a mouse ran out from +under a log or stone that he overturned, he made a desperate effort to +get it. + +One day while sniffing about a hollow log, as was his wont, the bear +discovered still a new scent that was neither grubs, ants nor +field-mice, so he began tearing the log apart, for it was quite rotten. + +He had been at work but a few minutes, when with a great chipping a +small striped animal, several times larger than the field-mouse, ran +between his legs and scurried away in the grass. Although much +astonished, the bear hurried in hot pursuit. This little creature, +like the mouse, ran hither and thither, dodging and twisting. Finally +after several misses, he landed his paw squarely upon it and the hunter +had bagged his first chipmunk. + +[Illustration: The Bear Hurried in Hot Pursuit] + +This game was so much larger than the field-mouse that he thought it +well worth while, and after that whenever he scented a chipmunk about a +log or stone wall, he would spend an hour, if need be, until he was +satisfied that he could not get at it. + +Finally the summer passed and the autumn came, and the bear-cub +followed the children to the woods for chestnuts, beech-nuts and +walnuts. + +He, too, learned the secret of the sweet meat under the hard exterior. +Beechnuts he would discover and eat by himself, but walnuts and +butternuts he could not crack, and as for chestnuts, he wanted them +taken out of their prickly jackets before he could eat them. Here in +the deep woods the bear also discovered several roots which were to his +liking, so he was always nosing about in the dead leaves, for if he +didn't find nuts, he would find roots. + +Thus passed the cubhood of Black Bruin, and, from a fuzzy mite, whining +for his saucer of milk, he grew into a sturdy cub, strong and +self-reliant, able to forage and hunt for himself. + +Without training from any parent, he learned some of the things that it +was necessary for him to know in the fields and forest. Thus the +instinct of his bear ancestors asserted its power in the pampered and +spoiled pet of the farmhouse, and if he had chosen, he could probably +have taken care of himself as a real wild bear. But he did not care to +do so, although he had every chance to run away; there was something +always calling to him at the farmhouse. + +The people there had been good to him. In the wood-shed was his nest, +and no matter how far away he roamed during the daytime, night always +found him back at the house, begging for milk, and taking caresses at +the farmer's hands. + +These good people had been so large a part of his helpless days that he +could not leave them now, although the deep green depths of the woods +were probably calling to him, as this was his natural home. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +A ROLLICKING ROGUE + +About Thanksgiving time Black Bruin suddenly disappeared, and although +the premises were searched, no trace of him could be found. + +Finally, after two or three days, his master gave up the hunt, +concluding that the bear had obeyed the wild instinct in his nature and +returned to the woods. He had no doubt that he was snugly curled up in +some hollow tree where he would sleep away the winter months. Whether +he would ever return to them or not, was a matter of conjecture. + +All the family mourned his loss, especially the baby, who cried half a +day for "Bar-Bar," as he called the bear. + +One cold December evening when the farmer was bedding down the horse, +he imagined he heard a deep, steady breathing under the barn floor, and +after listening for some time, was sure of it. His first thought was +that some neighbor's dog had gone under the barn to sleep, so he went +and lifted up a trap-door that led to the cellar, which was not deep. + +He whistled for the dog to come out, but no dog appeared. He could +still hear the breathing and was much mystified by it, so he got a +lantern and went under the barn to settle his doubts. + +To his great astonishment he found Black Bruin curled up in one corner, +nearly covered with old hay that he had scraped together for the +purpose. + +He was very sleepy, and only grunted when the man touched him with his +foot and spoke to him. As he seemed well content with the winter +quarters that he had selected, the man left him and went back to his +chores. + +Not until the middle of March did he again appear, although different +members of the family often went to the trap-door and called for him to +come out. He seemed to be obeying a strongly rooted habit in the bear +nature, and he doubtless knew what was best for a sturdy cub like +himself. + +One warm March morning the mistress thought she heard some one in the +back room, and supposing that a neighbor had come in, opened the door. + +The intruder was no stranger to the family, for there was Black Bruin, +standing on his hind legs, licking off the sticky outside of a +maple-syrup pail. He had remembered his old delight in syrup. + +Perhaps he had even got a whiff of the sweet on the spring air, and his +nose had told him what was going on. The bear's scent is very keen, +and this and his acute hearing make up for his poor eyesight. + +Black Bruin, on his reappearance, was at once taken back into the +family's affection, and petted and spoiled, all of which seemed to suit +him admirably. + +For a week or two, however, he would eat very little, and appeared to +come to his appetite gradually. At first the good people thought he +was sick, but an old woodsman explained to them that the bear was +always fastidious after hibernation. In the wild state he will eat +only buds and grasses, and perhaps a very few roots. He is wise, after +the way of the wild beasts, and knows that his digestive organs are not +in condition to do hard work; but when the right hour comes, he will +have a meal that will make up for much fasting. + +The roguishness and capacity for mischief that Black Bruin had shown +during his first year of cubhood, increased tenfold, as he grew older +and stronger. + +Tree-climbing, which he had learned late in the summer of his first +year, became a passion with him. He climbed the elms and the maples +along the road and the fruit trees in the orchard. In the barn, too, +he clambered about on the scaffolds and pried into all the corners with +his inquisitive nose. + +A neighbor's boy often came to the farmhouse to romp and wrestle with +the bear-cub. Nothing pleased him more than a rough-and-tumble, and he +was quite an expert wrestler, once he learned how to floor his +adversary. + +Whenever two or three boys came into the farmyard, if Black Bruin was +anywhere about, he would shuffle up to them and rearing upon his hind +legs, invite them, in the plainest language, "to come on." + +His master also taught him to hold a broom in his arms in imitation of +a gun, and march up and down like a soldier. When this feat was +performed by their shaggy friend, the children would shout with +delight, at which the cub would loll out his tongue and seem greatly +pleased. He appeared to understand clearly that they thought him the +smartest bear in the world. + +His old trick of hunting for hens' nests now recurred to him, and he +returned to it with renewed zest. In fact, Black Bruin seemed not to +forget any of his many forms of mischief, but rapidly acquired new ones +as well. + +He not only hunted hens' nests outside, but frequently broke into the +hen-house, just like any other chicken thief, and ate eggs freely. + +He always skulked into a corner when caught and seemed to expect the +thrashing that he got for such thieving. + +He followed the farm-hands into the hay-field, as he had done the year +before, to look for bumblebees' nests, but he was not content with +lawful plunder. + +One day the haymakers took their dinner to a distant field where they +expected to spend the day. All went well until the dinner-hour came, +when it was discovered that Black Bruin had tipped over the coffee jug, +pulled out the cork, and probably licked up the sweetened fluid. He +had also opened the dinner-basket, and only a few crumbs and some +pickles remained of what would have been dinner for three men. + +To add insult to injury, the vagabond was lying asleep upon the +farmer's coat which he had thrown upon the ground, having a fine nap +after his hearty meal. + +There was nothing to do but for all hands to go back to the farmhouse +for dinner. + +The farmer had surrounded his beehives with a strong, high, barbed wire +fence, and had thought them quite safe even from the prying curiosity +of his bear-cub, but one day he found out differently. + +On hearing a great humming about the hives, as though the bees were +swarming, he went to investigate. There in the midst of the hives was +the old honey thief. He had dug a hole in the ground and had crawled +under the barbed wire fence. Two of the hives were overturned and +pulled to pieces, and the contents of half a dozen sections licked out. + +This was almost too much to bear, but the good-natured farmer dug a +trench under the fence, and placed another barbed wire lower down, and +the bees were safe for a time. + +Sweet apples and pears were also to Black Bruin's liking. This was all +right in itself, but it led to other things. + +One summer morning while the farmer was milking, he was startled by +hearing apples coming down in showers from the Golden Sweet tree back +of the barn. Thinking that some mischievous boy had climbed the tree +and was shaking off apples for sport, he rushed into the back yard, +determined to punish the offender severely. + +"Here, you rascal," he shouted as he neared the tree, "what in the +world are you trying to do?" + +The shaking in the tree ceased immediately, but at first the man could +not locate the truant. Finally he discovered Black Bruin away up in +the top of the tree, where he was well screened by the thick foliage. + +"Come down here," cried the farmer in considerable wrath. "Come down +here and I'll give you a good drubbing." + +Black Bruin clearly understood from the man's tone that he was angry, +so he stayed where he was. + +The man then threw apples at him, but they had no more effect upon the +culprit than did the grass upon the bad boy in the fable; so the farmer +got a long pole and prodded the apple thief until he whined and came +scratching down the tree. + +Black Bruin was very fond of the Golden Sweets, especially when they +were baked, and probably thinking that there were not enough on the +ground for family use, he had taken matters into his own hands. He +seemed very penitent, however, so the family finally forgave him, as +they had done so many times before. + +When the following week he tried the same tactics upon a winter +pear-tree, the consequences were more serious. Black Bruin not only +got a good drubbing for the prank, but his master secured a dog-collar +and chained him to a maple-tree in the yard. + +For a while he pulled and sulked, but finally, seeing that it was +useless, he yielded to the chain. He would beg so hard, though, to be +let loose whenever any one went through the yard, that he was always +allowed to be unchained and go free, when the family were about and +could watch him. + +Once the chain and collar, together with the bear's uneasiness, nearly +cost the cub's life. He would climb up the tree to which he was tied +as far as the chain would allow him to go, and, while playing various +antics on the lower limbs of the tree, he fell. The chain was on one +side of the limb and he was on the other, where he dangled like a +culprit on the gallows. + +He kicked and choked and tried desperately to catch the limb with his +fore-paws, but it was just out of reach and there seemed nothing for +him to do but strangle. + +The tighter the collar grew and the shorter became his breath the more +he kicked and thrashed, until finally the collar broke, and the +half-strangled bear fell to the ground with a great thud. Feeling that +he had been cruelly treated and insulted, he picked himself up with a +groan and a growl, and making for the woods, was not seen again for two +days. + +Finally Black Bruin returned to his friends, having had enough of wild +life for that time. He seemed delighted to see them again and wanted +to be petted more than ever, and, as if to make amends for his recent +bad behavior, was very good for a couple of weeks. + +One day the farmer took a super of honey from one of the hives in the +back yard, and, as a sort of reward of merit, gave Black Bruin a pound +for his share. + +This was an imprudent act upon the part of the bear's master, for honey +to the bear is what whisky is to the drunkard. Not that it intoxicated +him, but he craved it with an almost insatiate desire. + +This pound was but a taste, so he fell to watching the hives again and +perhaps plotting as to how he might get at their contents. But the +hives seemed quite safe. They were surrounded by a barbed wire fence +six feet high. They were located under a broad spreading apple-tree, +however, and this fact gave Black Bruin his chance. + +He waited until the farmer had gone to a distant field to work, then +climbed into the tree, and out on a long limb that overhung the hives. + +The limb bent lower and lower until it nearly touched the barbed wire +fence, but it was just strong enough for him to make the spring and +land in the midst of the hives. + +The good housewife heard the humming and buzzing as the bees swarmed +out to punish the intruder, and looking out of the back window, +discovered the thief. + +Not much damage had been done, as he had been detected almost at the +outset; but one thing was now certain; the hives would not be safe from +Black Bruin any longer. + +So the farmer repaired the broken collar and again secured the bear to +the maple, and once more he took up the life of a convict. + +But it must not be imagined that Black Bruin led a very lonely life +even upon the chain, for the children frequently took him berrying, or +to the deep woods for nuts. + +When the apples had been picked and most of the honey taken from the +hives, he was again given the freedom of the place to come and go as he +wished. + +But the very worst of all Black Bruin's mischief and thieving came +about the second week in November, when he had been upon his good +behavior for several weeks, and the family hoped that he had reformed. + +One night the household was awakened by the most violent and persistent +squealing of a pig. It did not seem to be any of the pigs at the farm, +but the sound came from down the road and it steadily drew nearer to +the buildings. + +What it all meant the farmer could not imagine, so he hurriedly dressed +and went out-of-doors to find out. + +He was just in time to see Black Bruin come shambling into the yard +carrying a pig, of perhaps twelve pounds' weight, in his mouth. He was +holding him by one hind leg and the load was so heavy that the culprit +could barely keep the poor pig's nose from dragging on the ground. + +The farmer at once went to his assistance and rescued him, to the great +disgust of Black Bruin, who growled and plainly gave his master to +understand that he considered the pig his own property. He had not got +him out of the home sty, so that his master had no right to interfere. + +Again Black Bruin paid the penalty for misbehavior and was chained up, +while next morning, the farmer had the humiliation of carrying the pig +home. + +After about a week more of life upon the chain, the culprit slipped his +collar and disappeared. This time the farmer remembered his +disappearance of the fall before and finally looked under the barn, +where he found him curled up for his winter's sleep. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE LIFE OF A DANCING-BEAR + +About the first of April, the third year of his adventurous life, a +sense of something that he craved was borne in upon the deep slumber of +Black Bruin, or perhaps it was only the returning warmth that awakened +him. + +In either event he awoke, yawned, stretched himself and turned about in +his nest under the horse-barn. He felt stiff and cramped, as one had a +right to, who had been sleeping since about Thanksgiving time. + +Finally he got up, and going to a crack in the cellar wall, sniffed the +breeze, which came in quite freely. This was always his way when he +wanted to find out what was going on. His nose was a much surer guide +in most matters than his eyesight. + +What the fresh spring wind told him was evidently to his liking, for +his tongue lolled out, his mouth dripped saliva, and he went at once to +the trap-door leading upstairs, and pushed it open with his shoulder. + +In the cozy farmhouse kitchen, an event that fills the heart of the +average country boy or girl with delight, was in progress. + +Upon the kitchen range was placed a large galvanized iron syrup-pan. +In it was three or four inches of golden maple syrup, which danced and +steamed and broke in little mountains of yellow bubbles, something the +color of sunlight. + +This was the amber toll from the rock-maple, discovered long ago by the +Indian, whose primitive methods have been so greatly improved upon by +the white man. But there are still very remote places in Canada, where +the old-fashioned slash in the tree, into which a wedge is driven, has +not been superseded by spiles and buckets. + +Several of the neighborhood children were gathered at the farmhouse +kitchen and jollity ran high. + +Suddenly the door leading to the wood-shed flew open, and there in the +doorway stood Black Bruin. With a shout of delight they rushed upon +him, eager to greet and caress their wilderness pet. + +For a week or two, as usual when coming forth from his long sleep, +Black Bruin was rather inactive, and did not want much to eat; but by +degrees his spirits returned, and it was evident from the size and +strength now acquired, that he was to be more of a rogue and bother +than he had ever been before. + +But even his warmest admirers, the neighborhood children, who always +took his part, no matter what he did, were not prepared for his next +antic. + +Of course it was impossible for his friends, who had not been sleeping +and going without food for several months, to say just how hungry the +culprit was, or how strong the blood lust was upon him. + +There had been pig-killing at the farmhouse, and the bear had eaten +some of the refuse meat. This had only whetted his appetite for more, +so he did some pig-killing on his own account. + +One morning a neighboring farmer, very much excited, rushed into the +yard and accused Black Bruin of stealing a small pig that morning from +his sty. Although the family protested stoutly that he must be +mistaken, a search of the premises showed that their pet was missing. + +The bear's master thought best to settle for the pig, but even then the +neighbor was much put out, and promised to try the effect of a rifle +upon the thief the next time he should appear. + +The marauder did not return to the farmhouse all that day, but came +slinking home late in the evening and went at once to his den in the +wood-shed. Again he was chained to the maple in the front yard, and +forced to live the life of a prisoner. But he was now getting so +strong that any ordinary collar would not hold, and he soon broke away +and again went upon a foraging expedition. This time his choice was +mutton, and his master had to pay for a pet sheep that he had taken +from a neighbor's back yard. + +This was getting serious, and the bear's master was thinking of +corresponding with the keeper of a zoo or menagerie, to see if he could +give his troublesome pet away, when Pedro Alsandro appeared upon the +scene, and the whole tenor of Black Bruin's life was changed. + +Pedro was an Italian peddler, carrying two large packs. He was a small +man with a swarthy olive-colored skin, and dark beady eyes, set rather +too close together. + +He appeared one warm April morning, and in the usual lingo of his kind, +invited the good people at the farmhouse to "buy something." + +When his pack had been overhauled and a few small purchases concluded, +the peddler noticed Black Bruin, and he at once took his fancy. His +greed was also appealed to by seeing the bear perform his tricks. +Pedro had once owned a dancing-bear, but it had run away from him to +escape harsh treatment. + +"Why should I lug these heavy packs about," he thought, "when I could +make twice the money, merely by leading this bear from town to town?" + +So the Italian set to work to gain the confidence of the bear and as he +had had considerable experience with his kind, it was not long before +he had petted and bribed his way into Black Bruin's good-will. + +"You buy someting me, I buy someting, this bear," he finally said to +the farmer. + +This proposition was greeted by some neighbors' children with a chorus +of wails and the housewife too objected, but to the farmer, who was +much perplexed to know what to do with the bear, it seemed like quite a +Providential opening. + +"What you do with him, Pedro?" he asked, for he was as much attached to +the rogue as he would have been to a dog that he had raised from +puppyhood. + +"I make heem one fine dancing-bear," replied Pedro, "I teach heem lots +treeks. He jes walk long, eat lots, sleep lots, have good time." + +"Will you be good to him, Pedro?" asked the housewife, for she hated to +think of the bear's having any but considerate treatment. + +"Y-e-a-r-r--lady," replied Pedro. "I feed heem much sugar, much peanut +and much banan. He good bar, I keep heem careful and good." + +So Pedro finally left a part of the contents of one of his packs in +exchange for the bear, and went upon his way with a lighter pack. In +one hand he held a stout rope, the other end of which was fastened in +Black Bruin's collar. + +The poor bear continually looked back and whined as they went down the +road, but Pedro coaxed and bribed him with sugar, that he had brought +along for the purpose, until he was out of sight of the house. + +Once beyond the reach of interference upon the part of his recent +master, the Italian cut a stout heavy stick and sharpened one end, and +with that as a goad, he drove the bear relentlessly before him. +Instead of coaxing there were henceforth sharp thrusts with the point +of the stick and savage blows upon the head. + +At first Black Bruin was furious at such treatment, for had he not been +spoiled and petted all his life? He soon saw, however, that this man +was a new and terrible creature to be obeyed instantly, and one whose +wrath it was not well to provoke by pulling back or sulking. + +For several hours they journeyed on in this manner, until a small +village was reached. Here the peddler disposed of the remaining goods +in his two packs at a country store, and went into business as the +keeper of a dancing-bear. + +That night the two slept in an old barn, curled down in the hay, and +nestled closely together for warmth. + +When his deep breathing told the bear that his new master was sleeping +soundly, he crawled carefully out of their nest and tried to slip away. +But with a start Pedro awoke and pulled savagely upon his collar, while +with his stick he prodded him back into his nest. + +Truly this was a strange and terrible creature into whose hands he had +fallen. He knew what was going on when he was asleep, as well as when +he was awake. There would be no escape from him. The poor brute did +not appreciate the fact that the Italian had tied the loose end of the +rope about his wrist, so that the slightest tug upon it would awaken +him. + +The following morning, Black Bruin began his labors as bread-winner for +both. At the first farmhouse they came to, Pedro stopped and in his +broken English, offered to entertain the good country people with his +bear in return for breakfast for both man and beast. + +The offer was promptly accepted and Pedro's companion was made to +shoulder his make-believe gun and march up and down. Then he was given +an egg to suck, and he carefully nicked a little piece in one end, and +licked out the delicious contents. This was the trick that he liked +best of all. + +Finally he got down on all fours and was horse for three children for +several minutes. They would sit astride his back, with their small +hands tightly clasping the bear's long, glossy hair, while Pedro slowly +led him up and down. + +At last the breakfast was set before them and the poor bear, who had +done all the work, was glad of his share of hot biscuit and maple syrup. + +When they were upon the road again, Pedro began teaching the bear new +tricks, for the few that he already knew were not enough to satisfy his +new master, who thought he saw considerable money in him. + +Whenever they came to a tree that was suitable for climbing, he would +lead Black Bruin up to it, and shout "climb," at the same time +thrusting his pointed stick viciously into the bear's hinder parts. + +At first, the bear remonstrated and growled, but he got such a drubbing +and jabbing that he went whining up the tree, and when he would not +come down Pedro threw stones at him, until he was glad to escape the +missiles by obeying. + +Much practice of this trick soon made the bear a great tree-climber, +and he would scratch up the tree at his best pace, at the slightest +sign from the Italian. + +Next Pedro bought a bottle of ginger pop, which he sweetened +considerably to make it even more palatable for the bear, and then +slowly turned out a part of the contents for him to lick up. When this +had been done, he put in the cork very slightly and held it up for the +bear to lick. Of course the cork soon came out and more of the +contents was spilled for the bear to drink. In this way by degrees he +taught the brute that the cork must first come out and then there was +sweet within. + +When the trick was finally mastered, the bear would stand upon his hind +legs, take a bottle of ginger pop from a man's hand, hold it between +his paws, pull out the cork with his teeth, and deliberately drink the +contents. + +The performance of this trick got Pedro and the bear all the soda water +and small drinks that they cared for at the country stores and hotels. +Occasionally Pedro would push the cork in very tight to tease the +performer, who would sometimes growl and box the bottle with his paw, +to the great delight of the children. + +At first the bear did not like beer, but he soon learned, and would +drink it down the same as any toper. + +Peanuts, pop-corn, corn-cake and candy he also learned to like, and his +manner of eating these delicacies always amused the children. + +Sometimes when he had been doing tricks in a village for hours he would +get very tired and lie down and sulk, when Pedro would beat and prod +him cruelly. + +If the passers-by remonstrated with the Italian for treating his good +bear in this manner, Pedro would make the excuse for cruelty so often +heard in Italy, where very little consideration is shown animals. + +"Huh, lady," he would say, "he no Christian, he just brute. Pedro, +Christian, bear, brute, devil." + +Whenever Pedro and his companion entered a village, they were always +followed by an admiring crowd of children. As many as could, would +climb upon Black Bruin's back, and ride in triumph through the street, +while dozens, who were less fortunate, followed behind, shouting +approval. + +Although it was quite a hardship for the bear to carry such a load, yet +the petting of the children was a great pleasure to him in these days +of tribulation. It reminded him of the children at the farmhouse where +every one had been so good to him. For, brute that he was, he was +still amenable to kindness, and brutalized by brutality. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE VAGABONDS + +Pedro and Black Bruin were vagabonds, going up and down the country as +the spirit moved them, living like two tramps without home, shelter or +friends, save as they made them by the way. + +Some nights they slept in haystacks, or in old barns. Sometimes they +crawled into wagon sheds and slept upon loads of grain or produce that +had been gotten ready for the morrow's marketing. More frequently they +bivouacked in the open, under the blue canopy of heaven, merely +sheltered a little by a friendly spruce or pine, with the silver moon +for a lamp, and the bright stars for candles. The great shaggy beast +and the little dark man slept in one bed, as it were. Pedro usually +pillowed his head upon Black Bruin and so the bear had to lie very +still and not disturb his master, for he got a pounding if he did. + +Out here in the open all the night sounds came to them with startling +distinctness;--the cry of the nighthawk and the chirping of a cricket, +the peeping of hylas and the croaking of frogs and the wild, tremulous, +mournful cry of the screech-owl. + +The night winds blew upon their faces and the fragrance of the +dew-laden flowers was in their nostrils. Theirs was not a cramped, +stifling existence, but a full free life, and the sense of living, +breathing, growing things was everywhere, and it made them glad. + +The tan of wind and sun was upon Pedro's skin, making it even more +swarthy. + +In the morning, when the first faint gray streak lit the east, and +robins and thrushes began to sing, they were up and ready for the day's +work. Their toilet was very simple,--merely a wash and a drink of +water from some neighboring brook, then they were ready for the road. + +This was just the hour to find all the thrifty farmers' families at +breakfast and it was much easier to get something for themselves when +the table was spread for others. So Black Bruin danced and went +through all his tricks, to the great delight of the children, that both +he and Pedro might share the farmer's hospitality later. + +When they were unlucky and had to go without breakfast, Pedro blamed +his shaggy companion and swore at him in broken English, or showered +blows upon him with the stout stick which he always carried. + +Black Bruin soon learned to expect the blows and to cower from them and +sometimes even whimper, when his master was unusually harsh; but in his +heart, which was that of a wild beast, he was storing up wrath. + +But there was something about the Italian that held him at bay as +though with chains of steel. When Pedro's small glittering eyes were +upon him, his own eyes fell. A kick would send him groveling to earth. +In some unexplainable way he felt that this cruel creature was his +master. He was subdued and held by a terrible grip. + +To the bear the man was always a mystery. There was something fearful +about him that he could not fathom and his source of strength the poor +beast could not understand. + +There was also an evil-smelling dark bottle in the Italian's inside +coat-pocket, which was an enigma. It was not ginger pop or beer, or +any kind of soda water; Black Bruin knew all of these drinks himself, +and this drink was like none of them. + +One day Pedro had fallen into a strange deep sleep and the bottle had +slipped from his pocket. The bear had at once noticed it, picked it up +and pulled out the cork, just as he would have done with a ginger pop +bottle, and had taken a small swallow. But the strange stuff had +burned his tongue and choked him. So he spat it out and broke the +bottle with a single blow of his powerful paw. He finally licked up +considerable of the whisky, as it was a hot day and he was thirsty. It +had made him sleepy, so man and beast had lain down together in a +drunken stupor. + +After this day Black Bruin hated the bottle, out of which Pedro drank +so frequently. They were also unlucky in getting meals when his master +did this, for the simple country folk did not like to lodge or feed +them when the dark, sinister-looking man was half drunk. So in many +ways the bottle brought them ill-luck. + +When Black Bruin and his companion began their wanderings from town to +town, it was early spring-time. The buds were just beginning to redden +upon the sugar-maple and the grass along sunny southern slopes, was +putting on its first faint touch of green. The days were warm and +sunny, promising buds and blossoms, but the nights were still clear and +cold. + +At first they had to lie close together at night for warmth, or rather +the man had to cuddle down close to his shaggy warm companion; but +spring soon passed and summer came and the two wanderers reveled in the +lavish beauty and richness of nature. + +In many of the pastures blueberries grew in profusion and Black Bruin +needed no teaching to get his share of the palatable fruit. Along all +the country roads, growing upon the stone walls and fences, were +delicious red raspberries, which are much finer flavored than the +cultivated kinds. Later on, when August laid her golden treasures in +the lap of Mother Earth, the blackberries ripened in wild profusion. +First in the open pasture came the low bushberries, and then the high +bushberries along the edge of the forest. + +Last of all came autumn with its treasures of harvest, fruits, nuts, +melons and grains. + +Wild grapes they found in abundance and all the nut-bearing trees +rattled down their treasures for them. The melon-patch, the pound +sweeting tree, the peach-orchard and the turnip-field all paid toll to +the vagabonds. So, in spite of harsh treatment and hard work, Black +Bruin laid on his usual layers of fat, against the long sleep of the +coming winter. + +What wonderful days these were when they wandered lazily from village +to village, through long stretches of flaming red and golden forest, +where the roadway was spread with a most gorgeous leaf-carpet. + +They heard the jay squalling in the corn-field, and the crows gathering +in the clan for their annual caucus. The squirrels chattered in the +trees above them, but their old friends, the song-birds, had nearly all +flown away to the South to escape the oncoming winter. + +When Jack Frost and the merry north winds had robbed the trees of the +last of their foliage and they stood out grim and gaunt against the +bleak November sky; when the last purple asters and the hardiest bright +goldenrod had faded, Black Bruin felt the old winter drowsiness slowly +stealing upon him. + +At last the first snow-storm came and that settled it in both the minds +of Pedro and the bear. So the Italian led his companion far up into a +wilderness region, and after searching about for half a day among the +ledges found a natural cave which was about the size of a small room, +and here left Black Bruin to sleep away the winter months. + +He stayed in the region just long enough to make sure that the winter +drowsiness had clutched him and also took the precaution to roll +against the entrance of the cave, a large stone, which he had to move +with a lever, that he might be sure of finding his partner in +Vagabondia when he returned for him in the early spring. Pedro would +take the precaution to come back a few days before the bear would +naturally awaken. + +A day or two after Black Bruin was left alone in his cavern a heavy +storm set in, and before it ceased, a foot of snow had fallen. + +It was now so deep that the passer-by would never have guessed that a +bear was soundly sleeping a few feet back of the boulder which Pedro +had placed at the entrance of the cave. This now merely looked like a +white snowdrift that some freak of the wind had piled upon the +mountainside. + +In the dark and the silence of his underground room Black Bruin slept +through the winter blizzards and cold as well as he would have done in +warmer and more comfortable quarters. No sound broke the silence of +his cave save his own deep breathing. If the sun shone, or the winds +howled, or the storms beat, he knew it not. + +Perhaps in dreamland he still wandered up and down the country picking +blueberries or poking under the dead leaves for nuts, and always and +forever doing tricks until his legs and back ached. + +As for Pedro, he had no idea of hibernating, so he went away to a +distant city and worked for a fellow countryman in a fruit store. + +But work was not to his liking and he longed for spring to come that he +and his companion might again be upon the road living the old free life. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THE BEAST AND THE MAN + +A sense of pain and annoyance penetrated the deep sleep of Black Bruin, +and with a growl and a start he awoke. When he had fallen asleep his +mountain cavern had been quite dark. It had always been dark when he +awoke and stretched himself, but now the full glory of daylight was +streaming in. + +There before him, dark, sinister and forbidding as ever, stood Pedro, +and in his hand was the sharpened stick with which he had been prodding +him, causing him to awaken. + +As Black Bruin arose in response to his blows, he shook himself, and +stretched first one cramped leg and then another, which were stiff +after his long sleep. Pedro could not help but notice how he had grown +and what a great brute he was getting to be. + +"Holy saints," he ejaculated, "but he is one pig deevil-bear. I must +club heem and prod heem much, or he eat me. He em one deevil." + +Black Bruin felt a sense of irritation at the coming of his master and +followed him sullenly as he led the way out of the winter quarters into +the full day. How sweet and fresh was the air and how bright and +beautiful the world. Then, for the first time, there came an almost +overpowering longing for freedom. He had often felt it slightly, but +now it nearly mastered him and he all but broke into open rebellion. + +The deep woods were calling to him. The wild free life was his by +right. He was no dog to be led about upon a chain, and to go and come +at the beck of man. He was a wild beast whose home was the wilderness, +and this cruel creature, who tyrannized over him, and prodded him, for +whom he did tricks day after day, had stolen away his freedom. + +Of course Black Bruin did not think these thoughts in just this way. +To him they were dim and inexpressible; he only felt a wild rage at +being restrained and made a captive and a hot desire to be off. + +So it was with this ill-disguised humor that he followed his master +from town to town and did his tricks. + +Pedro, on the other hand, felt that the bear was becoming morose and +that his spirit must be broken, so he prodded and beat him until his +life was almost unbearable. + +One evening the two camped near the edge of a spruce woods. Along one +side of the road ran a turbulent stream, which was at the bottom of a +deep gorge. At several points one could look down from fifty to one +hundred feet to the water, foaming and lashing and rushing upon its +way. For a part of the distance the bank was almost perpendicular, and +here the passer-by was protected from falling into the abyss by a +railing that was spiked to posts or convenient trees. + +To-night, Pedro was sleeping soundly, his head pillowed upon his great +coat, that he carried in the spring and fall against inclement weather. +He no longer pillowed his head upon Black Bruin, who was chained to a +near-by tree. The beast now also wore a muzzle and this was one more +grievance which he nourished in his heart against the time of vengeance. + +Black Bruin was not asleep, but was watching first his master and then +the flickering light of their camp-fire. As he watched and pondered, +the tyranny of his chain and muzzle grew upon him. The muzzle galled +his nose and the chain was a continual reminder of his slavery. Pedro +had prodded and clubbed him this spring until his body was sore. He no +longer had the slightest spark of affection for the man, but instead a +fearful hate that burned in his breast like living coals. + +The sound of Pedro's deep breathing also filled him with a terrible +rage. It seemed as if he could feel all the prods that he had received +from the stick at once, and each stung him with a new pain. His breath +came thick and hot and his eyes glowed with all the deep intensity of +hate;--hate, that had long smouldered, fed with continual fuel, but +always kept in check, only at last to break out in a conflagration, +sweeping all before it. + +At length raging, yet fearful, Black Bruin backed away to the full +length of his chain and began straining upon it with all his might. It +choked him until he could no longer breathe. Then he stopped for a +moment to recover his breath, and went at the chain again. + +For half an hour he tugged and strained, choking and gagging until at +last the ring in his collar pulled out and he was free from the chain. +But he was not free as long as that sleeping demon by the fire still +had strength to pursue and recapture him. He never would be free until +he had killed him. + +Next he lay down and began tugging at his muzzle. That too choked him +as he pulled upon it, and he nearly strangled in the process of +wrenching it off, but finally the hated thing lay upon the ground, with +the strong wires bent and the strap broken. + +Then Black Bruin crept forward to within three or four feet of where +Pedro lay heavily sleeping, and stood there, watching his master. He +felt sure that with one blow of his paw he could cripple him, but he +could not bring himself to strike that blow. The man might have some +new and terrible hidden power that he knew not of. He had seen him do +strange things and there might be still others that he had not yet +tried. Could he not make fire out of sticks that really had no warmth +in them? There was something fearful about a creature who could do +such things. + +But one thing was certain;--Pedro would not strike him again. The +growing rage in his brute breast made that impossible. + +If he would only move and get up and reach for his stick, then the poor +enthralled brute might act. This would be a match to the powder. + +At last Pedro stirred uneasily in his sleep and groaned, and with all +the stealth of a wild beast Black Bruin drew nearer to him. He could +see drops of sweat upon the man's brow and a tremor shook his body. +Was this terrible demon really afraid? If so, Black Bruin himself +would no longer be afraid, so he drew still nearer and stood over his +master. + +Then with a yell of terror that echoed through the cavernous woods, +Pedro sprang to his feet, while his hand reached for the stiletto that +he always carried. But quick as he was, he was not as quick as the +bear, for, with a motion like lightning and a grip like steel, Black +Bruin pinioned his arms to his sides and held him as though in the grip +of Vulcan. + +"Heii, yii-here, you brute deevil. You let me go I keel you," shrieked +Pedro. But the words, that would have made the bear cringe and skulk a +few hours before, held no terror for him. He was master now, and this +man who had clubbed and prodded, sworn at, and outraged him, was a +pigmy in his arms. His powerful jaw too was close to the man's neck. +One crunch would make him lifeless. + +Then Pedro, with more ferocity than judgment, began kicking, hoping to +frighten the bear, who had always skulked at his slightest word. But +the growl of rage with which Black Bruin greeted this move fairly froze +the blood in Pedro's veins, especially when he felt the great brute +half open his jaws as though to bite through his neck. + +Then Pedro became wise and sought by kind words to persuade the bear +into releasing him. + +"Gude Freetzie, gude beastie. Don't, Freetzie, don't." + +But those platitudes were received as uncompromisingly by Black Bruin +as were the kicks. He evidently would have no parleying of any sort. +The man had been weighed in the balance and found entirely wanting. + +There was still one very slight hope left, however. If Pedro could +only reach his stiletto, even with his hands pinioned to his sides, he +might be able to plunge it into the brute's side down low and inflict a +wound that would cause the bear to loose his hold for a second, when he +might wrench himself free and deliver a second fatal thrust. + +The stiletto was in a sheath and Pedro could just reach the point. His +only hope was to work it loose, then with a quick motion jump it out, +and catch it as it fell. It was a desperate chance, but all that was +left to him. + +His slightest movement brought blood-curdling growls from Black Bruin, +who evidently did not intend to take any chances with him. + +At the same instant that Pedro began reaching for his stiletto, Black +Bruin started marching him up the road into the woods. Where he was +taking him and what new horror awaited him the Italian could not +imagine. + +Inch by inch he carefully worked the stiletto higher and higher in the +sheath. Then with a quick upward motion of his hand, he jumped it +clear of the leather and clutched for the handle as it fell. But his +fingers barely glazed the steel, the weapon fell to the earth, and his +last hope was gone. + +About fifty feet down the road, Black Bruin wheeled his captive sharply +to the right and taking a few steps in that direction, they stood upon +the brink of the precipice, at the bottom of which was the foaming, +dashing, turbulent stream. + +As though to make the horror of the situation even more intense, the +moon which had been under a cloud, came out and shone peacefully into +the yawning depths. In the silver moonlight the white foam on the +water looked as soft as wool; but Pedro knew that beneath the froth and +foam were the jagged and hungry rocks that made it. + +There they remained for the space of ten seconds, the dark, cruel, +sinister little man, held in the inexorable grip of the great shaggy +beast. Each second the crushing arms of the bear tightened and the +man's breath came in gasps and sobs. His tongue protruded from his +mouth, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets with fear and pain. +Blood dripped from his nose and his ribs creaked as the infuriated +beast slowly crushed him. + +When the figure of his tormentor no longer struggled in his arms, Black +Bruin opened his powerful jaws and with a single bite crushed the +vertebras of the neck. Then, with a grunt of deep satisfaction, he +lifted the limp figure in his arms as high as he could, and flung it +into the yawning chasm below. + +He peered over the railing and saw it strike upon the rocks beneath, +hang for a moment uncertain and disappear in the dark eddy. + +Then he dropped on all fours and hurried back to camp, where he +demolished everything of Pedro's meagre outfit, not forgetting to tear +his coat to shreds. This done to his evident satisfaction, he obeyed +the call from the deep woods, that had been so insistent in his ear all +that spring and summer, and shuffled away into the gloom. + +The dark plumes of fir and pines sighed, "Come," and the night wind +whispered, "Come," and the rustling fronds and grasses said, "Come." +All nature welcomed the exile to this, his native wilderness. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +LIFE IN THE WILD + +It was with a wild exultant sense of being free that Black Bruin +shuffled through the underbrush and entered the deep woods on this, his +first night of actual freedom. Some of the native ferocity of his kind +coursed in his veins. Had he not within the hour slain his +tormentor--the inexplicable creature who had tyrannized over him and +bullied and beaten him for more than a year? But mingled with his +triumph was a faint sense of fear that caused him to put many miles +between himself and the deep gorge before he stopped for food or rest. +True, he had seen the limp, lifeless figure fall into the abyss and +then disappear in the dark stream. Still, he might come to life in +some miraculous way and pursue him. + +It was under most peculiar circumstances that this alien returned to +his native wilderness;--circumstances that we shall have to consider +briefly to understand why so many mishaps befell him during his first +year of freedom. + +From the first moment that the fuzzy little bear-cubs follow their huge +mother from the den into the open world, their lessons of life begin. +These lessons are acquired partly through imitation and also through +design upon the part of the wise old dam. Nearly all small creatures +are imitative, so, as the old bear did only those things that were for +her good, the cubs soon learned by imitation which of the wild +creatures to be upon good terms with and which were to be let alone. + +The cubs always stay with their mother for a year, usually denning up +with her the first fall, and only being deserted when the new cubs +come; so it will be seen that this early training and discipline is of +the greatest importance. Knowledge that is not gained in this way is +usually gained by hard knocks. + +At last, being winded and tired with his long flight, Black Bruin +crawled into a deep thicket and went to sleep. When he awoke, it was +very early morning, just the time of day that he and Pedro had been in +the habit of starting on the road. + +No more road for him, but if Black Bruin could not get his breakfast at +a farm-house, he must seek it elsewhere, for he was fairly ravenous +this balmy summer morning. + +He remembered his old grub and ant-hunting habit and was soon busy +turning over flat stones and pulling to pieces old rotten logs, where +there was usually good picking. But it took a great many of these +little crawlers and creepers to satisfy a half-famished bear. + +Finally, Black Bruin scented a chipmunk in a small pile of stones, and +hastily began pulling the pile apart to get at the prize. + +Poor Chippy, hearing his house tumbling about his head and seeing his +retreat rapidly cut off, burrowed deeper and deeper in the stone-heap, +but finally the monster was almost upon him. When one more stone had +been lifted, he would be at the bear's mercy. So, with a frightened +squeak, Chippy made a break for freedom, hoping to gain a stone wall +that he knew was near by. + +Thump, thump, thump, went the heavy paws all about him as he dodged +hither and thither, uttering a quick succession of terrified squeaks. + +At last one of the great paws fell fairly upon him and his life was +crushed out, while Black Bruin had the keen satisfaction of feeling +warm blood in his mouth. + +This success put new enthusiasm into the hunter and he pulled stones +and logs about for an hour or two in a lively manner. + +He did not find any more chipmunks and was about to give up hunting for +that morning and go in search of water, when a small black and white +creature with a bushy tail attracted his attention. It was about the +size of a cat but the body scent was not that of a cat. + +Whatever it was, it was small and slow, and could be easily caught and +killed. Whether or not it was good to eat could be determined later, +so the hunter hurried after the small black and white creature that +looked so harmless. + +A few quick shuffles carried Black Bruin alongside the quarry and, +within striking distance, his heavy paw went up, but at that moment the +wood pussy arched his back and delivered his own best defense full in +the bear's nose and eyes. + +With a loud "ugh," and a grunt and squeal of pain, Black Bruin +retreated into the nearest thicket. + +It seemed as though liquid fire had been dashed in his eyes, and of all +the obnoxious smells that ever disgusted his nostrils, this was the +worst. His eyes smarted and burned, and the more he rubbed them the +worse they became. + +He was nearly blinded and so had to go groping and stumbling through +the woods to the nearest brook, to which his wild instinct guided him +in some miraculous manner. Here he plunged in his face up to his ears +and was slightly relieved. + +For an hour he repeated the operation over and over, plunging his head +under and keeping it there as long as he could hold his breath. + +At last the burning, smarting fluid was partly washed from both eyes +and nostrils, and Black Bruin went upon his way a wiser and sorrier +beast. + +It was two or three days before the inflammation entirely left his eyes +and his nostrils got back their old sure power of discriminating +between the many scents of the forest. + +He had learned his first lesson in the woods, which was that a +well-behaved skunk when taking his morning walk, is not to be disturbed. + +After this, whenever Black Bruin even scented a skunk, he kept at a +discreet distance and contented himself with chipmunks and mice. + +One morning he surprised a fox eating a rabbit which it had just caught +in a briar-patch, and made such a sudden rush upon Reynard that he fled +in hot haste, leaving the rabbit for the bear. In this way Black Bruin +learned that rabbit was good to eat, even as palatable as squirrel, and +after that he hunted rabbits whenever opportunity offered. + +Sometimes he would find a gray rabbit's hole and with much labor dig +the poor rabbit out. More frequently he would watch at the mouth of a +rabbit-burrow, where he had seen a rabbit enter, until bunny +reappeared, sticking his head out cautiously to reconnoitre, when one +swift stroke of the heavy paw bagged the game. + +It was one day after having watched for several hours at the mouth of a +rabbit-burrow, that Black Bruin discovered a queer creature, three or +four times the size of a rabbit, walking leisurely along through the +woods, and went in hot pursuit. + +By this time, the experience with the skunk had lost its old terror, +and he was again the curious, keen hunter. + +Whatever it was, the newcomer did not seem to be much afraid of him, +and that was strange. Most of the wild creatures he knew fled at his +first approach, and it was with difficulty that he got near them; but +this queer animal ambled along as slowly as if he had not the slightest +concern. + +He did not look or smell like anything that Black Bruin had ever +observed before. The odd thing about him was that he was covered with +small sharp points sticking out in every direction, which gave him a +very bristling appearance. + +As the bear came up, he merely squatted upon the ground and drew +himself into a rotund shape. What a strange creature! Black Bruin +reached his nose closer to get a better whiff of the body scent, and if +possible to discover what the animal was. + +Quick as a flash the porcupine's tail struck upward and three of the +longest, sharpest quills in this queer body were firmly planted in the +hunter's nose. + +With a growl of pain and rage the bear dealt this strange enemy a +crushing blow. The porcupine's back was broken, but the conqueror +carried off four more quills in his paw. + +[Illustration: BLACK BRUIN DEALT THE PORCUPINE A CRUSHING BLOW] + +It was not much like a conqueror that he went, for he limped off on +three legs, and sitting down in a thicket, pulled the quills from his +paw as well as he could; but two were broken off and finally worked +through the foot, coming out a day or two later on the upper side. + +The paw was so sore that he could not travel on it, and the afflicted +bear either went upon three legs, or kept quiet. + +Two of the quills in his lower jaw he got rid of, but one stayed with +him for several days, and finally made its appearance in his cheek, +coming out near the ear. + +The experience was a sorry one, and although several days afterward +Black Bruin saw the dead body of the porcupine lying where he had +crushed it, he would not go near it. This creature, like the skunk, +had a peculiar way of fighting which the bear could not understand, so +he would give the next porcupine that he met the entire road if he +wanted it. + +Black Bruin's relations with man had been most peculiar up to the time +of his killing his cruel master and escape into the wild, and they did +not tend to make him wise in regard to this creature, which all normal +wild animals shun as their greatest danger. + +He had been brought up in close companionship with men; had slept and +ate with them for the first three or four years of his life. He had +wrestled with the men cubs and had found in it nothing but sheer +delight. Children and their caresses had been his one pleasure during +the strenuous year with Pedro. + +Now, suddenly all this relationship toward man was changed. Black +Bruin had gone from the pale of civilization into that of savagery. He +was now a wild beast, feared by men, although without much cause. + +Little by little this new relationship between himself and the man +beast was borne in upon Black Bruin. At first, he shunned men and +their way, fearing that some man might capture him and again claim him +for the road. The wild, free life made him glad. To be here to-day +and there to-morrow was to his liking, and he did not intend to live +again upon a chain. + +But that Black Bruin's long companionship with men was a disadvantage +to him in his new life was only too apparent, for it led him into +indiscretions, which a normal bear would never have committed. + +In his natural state the bear is a very wary animal, always upon the +watch, even when he is feeding; always and forever testing the wind +with both ear and nostril. But with the half-domesticated dancing-bear +it was different. In his own mind he had nothing to fear from men. He +had walked through their villages and along their country roads and +seen them by thousands and tens of thousands. They had never harmed +him, and he had no reason to think they ever would. + +One September morning he was digging roots along the edge of the woods. +He had found something quite to his liking and was much absorbed, when +suddenly a fresh puff of wind blew the strong body scent of a man full +into his nostrils. He looked this way and that but could see no man. +Then a twig snapped in the cover near at hand, and a squirrel hunter +stepped into view, not fifty feet away. The hunter was probably much +more astonished than was Black Bruin. The great shaggy brute was so +close to him that he looked like a veritable monster. + +With the hunter's instinct, that acts almost before the mind has time +to think, the gun went to his shoulder and both barrels were discharged +in such quick succession as to call for merely one echo. + +The hunter was of course not in search of bears, so the two charges of +number four shot did not have a mortal effect upon the quarry, but at +such close range they penetrated quite deeply into his flesh and stung +him with an excruciating pain. With a loud "Hoof," and an agonized +grunt of pain, the bear fled precipitately in one direction, and the +hunter, thinking that he had jeopardized his life by his rashness in +attacking a bear with squirrel shot, fled in another. + +The man did not stop running until he reached the nearest farmhouse, +where he excitedly gasped out his adventure to wide-eyed listeners, +while Black Bruin fled as far as he could into the deep woods, to nurse +his many wounds. + +There was little, however, that he could do. The wounds were not +dangerous, but they burned and smarted as though a whole swarm of bees +had penetrated his thick coat and found the skin beneath. + +He spent the better part of the day lying in a cooling stream, waiting +for the burning and smarting to cease. + +He had now added one more to the list of his sad experiences in the +wild. The man-scent was dangerous and henceforth he must flee at the +slightest suspicion of the proximity of man. The rank sulphurous smell +of gunpowder, too, and the roar, like thunder, that echoed away through +the cavernous woods, were things that he would remember. + +Man, who he had thought was quite harmless, was a terrible enemy who +could sting him in a thousand places at once, and shake the forest with +thunder and lightning. + +Even while Black Bruin lay wallowing in the stream, trying to ease the +burning shotgun wounds, there was being planned in the near-by village +a bear-hunt that should bring about his destruction, for the excited +hunter had described a monster as large as a cow. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE GREAT BEAR-HUNT + +The hair-raising story that the young squirrel-hunter told, created +quite an excitement among villagers near by, but on second +consideration the older and wiser heads were inclined to discredit it. +The imaginative Nimrod had probably seen a black stump or dark +moss-covered rock, which, in the excitement of the moment, he did not +stop to investigate. He had fired upon the instant and then fled +without taking further inventory of the place. It was doubtless one of +those hallucinations that are so common in the woods. Bears had not +been plentiful in the region for several years, so at first the story +was discredited. + +About a week later Grandpa Hezekiah Butterfield, one of the old men of +the village, went about a mile into the country to a farmhouse to take +supper with an old crony and to talk over old times. + +As is usual when two grandpas get to talking over old times, Grandpa +Butterfield stayed much later than he intended, starting for home at +about eight o'clock. But when he went, he felt well repaid for his +visit, because he had completely out-talked his companion and moreover +was carrying back a present of five pounds of honey, which, as the old +man had a sweet tooth, the only tooth he had, was most acceptable. + +Just after leaving the farmhouse, the way led through a deep woods +which overhung the road, making it quite dark in places. + +It happened that on this same evening Black Bruin went forth on one of +his nightly prowls. + +It was a moonlight night and the wood-mice were out in force, +scampering about and squeaking, having the finest kind of a play. In +the course of his stalking this small game, Black Bruin came to within +a few rods of the road. He was sniffing about an old log which smelled +strongly of mice when a fresh puff of the wind brought him a strong +man-scent. + +At this dread odor the hair rose upon his neck and fear told him to +slip quietly away in the opposite direction from which the scent came. + +He was about to obey this instinct when the wind again freshened and a +new odor filled his nostrils. It was not as strong as the man-scent +and it did not fill him with fear, but with delight. It made his mouth +drip saliva and filled him with an insatiate craving for something, he +could not remember just what. + +Then the old sweet smell, that was to him what whisky is to the +drunkard, brought back a familiar picture. It was of a farmhouse with +barns and many out-buildings. There were hens, ducks and turkeys in +the yard and back of the house was a row of beehives that always +emitted this ravishing odor. + +It was honey, and at the realization Black Bruin could almost hear the +low droning of the hive, or the angry zip, zip of the bees about his +ears as he robbed them. + +Again the night-wind brought the man-scent and the smell of honey. The +former filled him with fear and the latter with delight. Again and +again he tested the wind, weighing the two odors, and at last the honey +conquered. + +The man might fill him with thorns and prickers from his thunder and +lightning stick, but he must have some of that honey. + +Grandpa Butterfield was walking leisurely along humming a psalm tune, +as was his wont when well pleased with the world, when he thought he +heard something behind him in the road. + +He stopped and listened, but all was still. Only the usual +night-sounds came to his ears. But when he moved on, he felt sure that +the footsteps again followed. + +At last he reached a point where the moonlight fell across the road. +He now felt quite sure that something was coming after him but what, he +could not imagine. Feeling curious, and a bit uneasy, for the road was +a lonely one, he turned and looked behind and there, in the full +moonlight, not forty feet away, he beheld a huge black bear following +surely in his footsteps. + +There was no deceiving his eye. He had seen too many bears in days +gone by. + +Grandpa Butterfield quickened his walk to a trot, which in a dozen +steps he increased to as lively a run as a man of seventy years could +muster. + +Black Bruin, feeling, now that the man was running, he was afraid of +him, and seeing his precious honey rapidly moving away down the road, +went in hot pursuit. + +By the time the old man had covered a hundred feet, his breath came in +quick asthmatic gasps. Craning his stiff neck to see if he had +distanced his pursuer, he saw to his horror that the bear was not +twenty feet behind him. Terror now lent wings to his rheumatic old +legs, and he sprinted another hundred feet in much quicker time than he +had the first. + +But Black Bruin now felt sure that the honey was his. The man creature +was clearly afraid of him, so he too increased his pace. + +Poor Grandpa Butterfield could almost feel the bear's hot breath upon +his back as he ran. Ten seconds more, he told himself, and he would be +in the clutches of this brute. His obituary and the account of his +tragic death would surely be in the county paper next week. + +Suddenly his half-paralyzed brain was electrified by a thought. It was +the honey that the bear was after, and not him. Who ever heard of a +bear wanting to eat an old dried-up man, who was as tough as leather? + +Without a second's delay he pitched the honey into the road behind him, +and continued his frantic flight. + +A few rods farther on, feeling that he was no longer pursued, he +glanced back just long enough to see the bear tearing the paper from +the package and licking out the honey. + +That evening at the country grocery the bear-story of the +squirrel-hunter was amply corroborated by Grandpa Butterfield, who was +so winded and spent with running that he could barely gasp out his +disconnected account of the chase through the woods. + +The next morning, with Grandpa Butterfield as a guide, several men went +over the ground, where there was plenty of evidence to substantiate the +old man's story. The empty honey-frames were there, and the +bear-tracks told as plainly as words that a bear, of unusual size, had +given the old man the run of his life through the woods. + +Grandpa Butterfield was the hero of the village, both for that day and +several following, and the long-talked-of bear-hunt was at once +organized. + +There was but one rifle in the village, and that was a 38-55 +Winchester, the property of the young hunter from the city, who had +filled Black Bruin's coat with squirrel-shot. So old rusty shotguns +were got out and cleaned up in readiness for the fray. Some of them +had not seen service recently, with the exception of once or twice a +year, when they were used to scare off the crows or to frighten a +woodchuck which was making too free with the beans. + +Boys hunted up old rusty bullet-moulds and ran bullets, and the +shotguns were loaded with slugs and buckshot. + +Those who were not fortunate enough even to possess a disreputable old +gun, armed themselves with pitchforks, so that altogether it was a +motley armed party that started out one early October morning to +annihilate Black Bruin. + +The dogs comprising the pack were half-breed hounds and beagles, with +two or three pure-blood foxhounds. + +By rare good fortune a farmer, coming into town early, had seen the +bear crossing the road ahead of his team, so that the dogs could be +shown the trail at once. + +But when the hunters pointed out the hand-shaped track in the road and +said "seek," the hair rose upon the dogs' backs and they stuck their +tails between their legs and interpreted "seek," as meaning that they +were to seek their own homes by the shortest path. This new rank +animal scent had no attraction for them. They had not lost any bear. +In other words, they would not follow. + +Here was a difficulty that the hunters had not foreseen, and for a time +it looked as though the hunt was doomed to end then and there. + +Finally some one in the party said, "We ought to have taken along Ben +Holcome's Growler. Growler ain't afraid of the devil himself." + +Growler was a mongrel, half-hound and half-bulldog. He had not nose +enough to follow alone, but as had been said, he wasn't afraid of +anything. So as there was nothing else to do, a boy was sent +cross-lots after Growler, while the hunters waited impatiently. + +Growler and the boy at last put in an appearance, and the mongrel was +shown the bear-track in the road. + +Growler's hair likewise rose up on his neck, but his lips also parted +in a snarl and he started off on the fresh track, uttering excited +yelps. Growler thought he scented a good fight ahead, and he would +rather chew on a good adversary any day than upon a piece of beefsteak. + +Seeing what was expected of them, and made courageous by Growler's +example, the pack followed at full cry, and the great bear-hunt was on +in earnest. + +Black Bruin heard them almost at the outset, where he was digging roots +in the deep woods, and for some reason the sounds annoyed him. He knew +they were made by dogs, for he had often heard the old hound Hecla at +the farmhouse running rabbits in the near-by swamp. + +But here, there were half-a-dozen hounds instead of one, and their +baying was fairly clamorous. + +Finally, the pack entered the woods not forty rods away, and Black +Bruin began to get uneasy. At last it dawned upon him, as the pack +drew still nearer and nearer, that; they were upon his track. This +thought filled him with both fear and rage. What did these curs want +of him? Had he not killed a dog that was worrying him, while with +Pedro, with a single blow? + +So he crouched in a thicket and waited expectantly. He had not long to +wait, for in fifteen seconds the pack came up. When they discovered +the bear so near at hand, however, and saw what menacing game they had +been running, the hounds all slunk back to a safe distance, and sat on +their tails. But not so Growler. + +Here was the scrap of his life with an animal three times as large as +the big Newfoundland, whom he was in the habit of worrying. So he +rushed into the thicket and sprang at Black Bruin's throat. + +[Illustration: GROWLER SPRANG AT BLACK BRUIN'S THROAT] + +But quick as he was, he was not as quick as his adversary, who ripped +open the side of his head with a lucky blow, and stretched him gasping +upon the ground. Black Bruin then reached down and biting the kicking +dog through the neck, finished his troubles in short order. + +Growler uttered one agonized cry, and stretched out dead. This was +enough for the rest of the pack, all of whom stuck their tails between +their legs and ran for their respective masters. + +Hearing the cries of men near at hand, Black Bruin slunk out of the +thicket and off into the deep woods, but not soon enough to escape a +fusillade of buckshot which whizzed about him as he ran, a few of them +biting deep into his flesh. + +But he was soon lost to sight, and as the pack would not follow, now +that Growler was no more, the hunt was finally abandoned for that day. + +The next day a bulldog and a bull terrier were procured to take the +place of Growler, and the hunt was resumed. But being made wary by +this experience, Black Bruin "laid low" and they could not start him. + +Each morning for three days they scoured the country, beating the woods +and loosing the hounds at all points where the bear had been recently +seen, but without success. + +The fourth morning a farmer came to town in great haste. The bear had +killed a calf the night before and he had discovered the partly eaten +carcass buried in the woods near by. Here was the bait that would lure +the thief into their hands. + +So hunters and hounds went at once to the carcass, where a rather fresh +trail was found. Half an hour's pursuit again routed out the bear. +Once he took to the open, and the young hunter from the city with the +Winchester sent a bullet through his paw, laming him considerably. +This would never do, so he doubled back to the woods. + +He did not fear this yelping, baying pack as he did the men that were +also following him. He now knew that the thunder and lightning that +they carried could bite and sting as nothing else could. + +For half an hour Black Bruin ran hither and thither, doubling in and +out. Finally he remembered his tree-climbing habit and in an evil +moment clambered up a tall spruce. In five minutes' time after he +scratched up the tree, men and dogs had surrounded his foolish refuge, +and his fate seemed sealed. + +The last of the party to arrive was the young man with the Winchester, +for whom all had been waiting. One shot from him would end the hunt. + +They discovered Black Bruin about thirty feet from the ground in a +thick whorl of limbs. + +The young rifleman was much excited. This would be his first bear. +His name would be in the local paper, and he would have a great story +to tell when he got back to the city. + +Experience would have taught him to draw his bead finer than he did, +and also to have lowered his rear sight, which was set for two hundred +yards; but taking careless aim, and thinking he could not miss at such +short range, he pressed the trigger. + +There was a sharp crack from the rifle, and the bullet ploughed a deep +wound in Black Bruin's scalp, but glanced from his thick skull and went +singing through the tree-tops. + +The blow of the bullet upon the skull dazed the bear for a moment, and +he loosed his hold and came tumbling down through the interlaced limbs. + +But the hard bump that he got at the foot of the tree, brought him to +his senses with a jerk. Right among the yelping, snarling pack he had +fallen, and in sheer desperation he struck out right and left. + +Two of the hounds went yelping to the rear. Then an excited boy +leveled a double-barreled shotgun at the bear and discharged both +barrels. + +At the same instant the best hound in the pack jumped into range and +rolled over kicking upon the ground. He had received the full charge. + +Half-blinded and dazed by the blow upon his head, and made frantic by +the yelping of the pack, the shouts of the men and the roar of their +thunder, Black Bruin put all his remaining strength into flight. + +Not knowing or seeing which way he went, he fled straight toward the +hunter with the Winchester with mouth wide open. + +Horrified at the sight, which the hunter interpreted as a desperate +charge upon the part of the bear, the city Nimrod delivered one wild +shot and then fled for his life, as he thought. + +This stampeded the entire hunt, and the terrified men fled as fast as +their legs could carry them until they left the spot far behind. + +It was a question whether the frantic beast tried harder to get away +from the hunters, or they from him. + +In the village grocery the stories that were told that night made the +small boy's hair stand up with fright and his blood run cold with fear. + +As for Black Bruin, with his wounded paw upon which he limped +painfully, and with his bleeding scalp, he concluded that the part of +the country in which he had made his home for several months, was no +place for him, so before another sunrise he put many miles between +himself and the scene of his narrow escape from the hunters. + +Nor did this one night's journey calm his fear. Night after night he +fled, always going in the same direction, which, as he fled northward, +carried him farther and farther into the wilderness. + +At last in a wild country of rugged mountains and deep, thickly wooded +valleys, where the habitat of man seemed far distant, he ceased his +flight. + +There in the wilderness, where lumbermen alone penetrated, Black Bruin +denned up and slept away his fifth winter. His bed was made deep under +the top of a fallen hemlock, where the snow drifted above him and +covered him with soft white blankets. The only evidence that the outer +world had that a bear was sleeping beneath was a small hole in the snow +kept open by the warm breath of the sleeper. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +A PLEASANT COMPANION + +When Black Bruin awoke from his long sleep, stretched himself, and +sallied forth into the open world, the first faint touch of red was +appearing upon the soft maples. Buds upon the other trees had not +started and there were yet suggestions of the chill of melting +snow-banks upon the air. The tones of the forest were still somber, +light gray-green or ash color, suggesting the funeral pile of the last +year. + +If the sun shone brightly for an hour, there might come a dash of hail +the next and a chilling blast of wind that seemed to retard the +oncoming spring for a whole month. + +Life hung in the balance, the seasons coquetted, gray-haired old Winter +trifling and flirting with the warm, blushing, sweet-breathed Spring. + +The awakening had not yet come. It might come the next week, or, if +the spring was exceptionally late, it might not come until the next +month. + +In accordance with his usual spring custom Black Bruin fasted for +several days, eating only grasses, buds and roots. This satisfied him +until the thick layers of fat, with which he had come forth from his +winter sleep, disappeared and then he became ravenous, "as ravenous as +a wolf," as the proverb says. + +He hunted mice persistently, but mice seemed not to be as plentiful in +the wilderness as they were nearer civilization. Squirrels also were +not as numerous here as nearer the abode of man. + +Most people, when they go to the great woods, expect to find them +teeming with all kinds of life, and are much disappointed to find that +song-birds and squirrels are decidedly more plentiful in their home +village than in the wilderness. Many of the birds and smaller animals +are social little creatures and love to be near the abode of man, while +others live upon the scatterings which agriculture deigns not to pick +up. + +One day Black Bruin was following along the banks of a good-sized +stream, looking for frogs, or anything, for that matter, which might +fit into a bear menu, when to his great astonishment he discovered +another bear, not as large as himself, sitting upon a flat rock a few +feet from the shore, watching the stream intently. Black Bruin had +never seen any of his kind before and a feeling of curiosity and +friendly inquiry came over him. He did not go at once to make the +acquaintance of the stranger, but kept very quiet and watched to see +what she was doing. + +[Illustration: HE DISCOVERED ANOTHER BEAR WATCHING THE STREAM] + +He did not have long to wait, for a gust of wind soon dropped a bit of +bark upon the stream near the crouching bear. There was a spray of +water, and a flash of the silver sides of the salmon as it darted to +the surface. Then the bear on the rock reached down with her paw and, +with a lightning-like motion, batted the fish out of the water and well +up on the bank. + +Black Bruin, during his year of wild life, had found several dead fish, +which he had eaten with great relish. So, without waiting to consider +that the prize did not belong to him, he started out of the bushes for +it. + +But the real fisherman rushed at him with such ferocity that he quickly +retreated to cover and sat watching while she killed the fish. + +When it had been dispatched, the lucky fisherman took it in her mouth +and went away into the woods with the prize. Black Bruin followed at a +distance, smelling of the bushes, where the fish brushed in passing, +leaving a tantalizing scent. + +Finally, the bear with the fish stopped under some spruces and began +eating it. + +Soon two fuzzy shuffling little creatures joined her. What they were +or where they came from Black Bruin did not know. They seemed not to +care much for the fish which the old bear offered them, but preferred +to romp and tumble about in the jolliest kind of frolic. + +In the old days there had been a litter of puppies at the farmhouse. +These queer little creatures were about the size of puppies, but Black +Bruin did not think they were small dogs. + +When the fish had been eaten, the three went away farther into the +woods, the two small creatures following in the footsteps of their +mother. + +Then Black Bruin went up and smelled of their tracks and his good nose +told him that they were small bears. + +After that Black Bruin saw the old bear and her two cubs often, but she +would not let him come near them, and did not evince much friendliness +for him. But he had learned one valuable lesson and the following day +was upon the flat rock watching for fish. + +He did not get one that day or the next, but he had patience, which all +fishermen must have, and the third day got his fish. + +It was much larger than the one he had seen the strange bear take and +it made him a fine meal. After that he was a tireless fisherman. + +One morning Black Bruin discovered a little dappled fawn following its +mother gleefully through the fragrant breeze-haunted forest, and +remembering his calf-killing episode, just before the bear-hunt, he +approached cautiously. This was not a calf, for the habitation of man +had been left far behind. Calves he had made the acquaintance of when +he was the farmhouse pet, in those far-off days. This was a wilderness +creature and it belonged to him if he could kill it, as did all the +wild creatures that he could master. + +This is the universal cry of the woods,--food, food, food; and it is +the cry of civilization as well. There is no dingle dell, where the +harebell and the anemone grow, where the pine and the spruce stand +darkling and sweet peace seems to fold her wings and sit brooding, but +danger is there. Danger that crawls and creeps and runs with great +bounds. Danger upon velvety paws, that fall on the mosses of the +forest carpet as lightly as an autumn leaf; danger that slinks in gray +protectively colored forms which pass like shadows; danger upon wings, +as sure and speedy as the hunter's arrow,--wings fringed with down, +that their coming may be noiseless and fatal. + +The tiny wood-mouse scampers gleefully in the dead leaves, but above +him and about him are a dozen dangers. The nervous cottontail sits +erect upon his haunches, his nose twitches and his large trumpet-like +ears are turned this way and that to catch the slightest sound. His +whole attitude is one of intense watching and listening, and well he +may, for his enemies are legion and in every thicket, bush and tree-top +a dark danger is lurking. + +This is the war of the woods. The old, old story of carnage, life that +takes life that the breath of life may not go out of the nostrils. +Cruel as fate is the law of the woods, but it is also the law of the +shambles and carnivorous man. + +Black Bruin was not as well versed in hunting as most of his wild +kindred, so he did not take the precaution to get upon the windward +side of his game. The ever-watchful mother scented danger long before +he got within striking distance. Her white flag went up and she led +her offspring at a breakneck pace from the place, but Black Bruin had +marked them for his own and it was only a matter of patience. + +For several days he watched their coming and going, until at last he +discovered where the mother left her offspring while she went to a +distant lake to feed upon lily-pads. + +The little dappled deer was hidden under a fallen tree-top and one day, +while the doe was gone, he fell upon the helpless fawn, which, +according to the unwritten law of the forest, was his legitimate meat. + +With a swift sure rush and a savage snarl, he brought the little deer +from hiding. There was a short, swift chase, an agonized bleat or two, +and Black Bruin had a breakfast that well repaid him for all his +watching and waiting. + +The same afternoon he saw the mother, wild-eyed and bleating, racing +wildly up and down the forest, asking, by terrified looks and actions, +"Have you seen my little dappled fawn? He is gone and there is strong +bear-scent about the tree-top where I hid him." For several days she +haunted the region and her anxiety and heedlessness of her own safety +nearly caused her to fall a victim to the wary hunter, but she finally +disappeared altogether. + +It was not until the full glory of mid-summer was over the land that +Black Bruin met White Nose in a blueberry patch upon a barren hillside. +At first she would have nothing to do with him, but he followed her so +persistently that she was at last obliged to take notice. + +For a long time something in earth and air had been calling to Black +Bruin,--something that he craved above all other things; but what it +was he never knew until he rubbed muzzles with White Nose and felt her +warm breath in his face. Then he knew that he had found what he wanted +and that the old loneliness would not haunt him again. + +But there was one thing about him that made his mate most suspicious +and it took much patient coaxing upon Black Bruin's part to overcome +her misgivings. This was the strong leather collar that the former +dancing-bear still wore about his neck. + +It was the collar into which Pedro had fastened the chain during the +latter part of the bear's captivity. This White Nose could not +understand. In all her experience she had never seen a bear wearing +such a thing as this. The man-scent about it, too, made it still more +alarming. But at last her prejudice was overcome, and the two came and +went together during the rest of the summer and the early autumn. + +From her Black Bruin learned many of the secrets of the woods that had +hitherto been hidden from him. White Nose had been reared in the wild, +so all her senses were keen and the woods and waters were her +hunting-ground. + +Together they caught salmon at a shallow point in the stream where all +they had to do was to sit upon a rock and knock them out on the bank as +they passed. Together, in the early autumn, they raided a beaver +colony, breaking into the houses and killing several of the members. +Black Bruin thought he had never tasted anything in his life quite so +delicious as beaver-meat. + +White Nose also taught him how to lie in wait for the deer in a clump +of bushes by some pathway that they were in the habit of following, or +by the lick, or perhaps by a spring where they often came to drink, and +then, before they suspected their presence, to make a sudden rush. + +She showed him a hollow birch-stub, in which a family of raccoons +dwelt, and together they set to work to destroy the household of their +own smaller brother. They dug and tore at the base of the stub until +they had undermined it, and then together pushed it over. + +At first the raccoon family were much astonished and terrified at the +commotion outside their dwelling, and when finally the house came down, +three sleek raccoons fled in as many directions. White Nose secured +one and Black Bruin another, while the third escaped. + +The last thing in the autumn, before they denned up, the two bears made +a long journey of several days to the nearest settlement, where they +killed several sheep, and also carried off two small pigs. In this +stealing, Black Bruin took the lead, for he knew much better the ways +of man, and the danger from his thunder and lightning than did his +companion. + +Upon this good supply of mutton and pork they laid on the final layers +of fat, and then returned to their wilderness and denned up for the +winter. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN + +The following spring, when Black Bruin came forth from hibernation, he +went one day's journey nearer to the settlements and took up +headquarters in a rugged and heavily timbered series of mountains, +which were admirably adapted to his purpose. + +Whenever he awoke during his winter nap he still tasted pork and mutton +from the autumn raid. Henceforth he must have more of that diet. So +the reason for his changing his base of operations will be readily +seen. One day's journey would carry him back into the wilderness, with +its fine resources for fishing and hunting, while a day's travel in the +opposite direction would bring him to the outskirts of the settlements, +within easy striking distance of plunder. + +At his first meeting with White Nose, he found her most unresponsive to +his advances, considering the fact that they had come and gone together +all through the autumn. The reason for her indifference was soon +discovered, for Black Bruin saw that she had two little fuzzy cubs in +tow;--one with a smutty white nose like her own, and the other with a +dark muzzle like Black Bruin's. If Black Bruin knew that these were +his offspring, he did not evince much interest in them, while White +Nose would hardly let him go near them. Perhaps she was afraid that he +might eat them, or maybe it was only maternal jealousy, which is always +strong in wild mothers. + +For several days after taking up his abode in the mountains, Black +Bruin contented himself with a vegetarian diet, varied with fish and +small game, but the blood-lust soon came upon him and he began prowling +about the settlements. + +At first, his reconnoitering was unsuccessful; but one day he +discovered an animal four or five times as large as a deer, feeding in +an open field near the woods. This would not have interested him much +had not the large creature been followed by a little animal of the same +kind. He never would have thought of attacking the mother, but the +calf was easily within his scope and he began shadowing them with the +persistence of a good hunter. + +Black Bruin knew that these creatures were the property of men. He had +often watched the cattle feeding when he lived near the scene of the +great bear-hunt, but with the exception of the calf he had killed upon +that eventful morning, he had never molested them. + +Even now, he associated the killing of the calf with the baying of +hounds and danger, but he was now much wiser and stronger. He felt +that he could get away to the mountains long before men would discover +their loss. He could even fight if need be. + +Of all the bears in the region he was easily the strongest and heaviest +and his life with White Nose the fall before had taught him many things. + +One morning the young heifer hid her little red calf in a thicket just +as the doe had her fawn and went to feed in the open near by. + +This was Black Bruin's opportunity, and swift and sure like the good +hunter he had now become, he approached. The deer mother had not +offered to attack him and he did not think this one would, so he did +not pay much attention to her. + +He crept as near as he could without scaring the game and then with a +swift pounce was upon it. He struck the calf a blow that should have +broken its neck, but the calf moved at just the critical moment and +received a glancing stroke. With a bleat of pain and fear it sprang up +and fled toward its mother. It took only two jumps, for a second blow +laid it low, with just enough life left to kick. + +Black Bruin seized the prize by the head and began dragging it into the +bushes. But he had not gone far when the heifer was upon him like a +whirlwind. He aimed a blow at her head which deprived her of one horn, +but this did not stop her charge. She caught him fairly in the chest +and sent him sprawling. + +Her remaining horn ploughed a deep wound in his shoulder and the force +of the contact knocked the breath out of him, but it also aroused his +fighting blood and put him upon his guard. + +When the heifer came for him the second time, he ripped open her nose +and eluded her charge, but in no way dampened her fighting ardor. + +Ordinarily she would have fled from the bear like the wind, but her +maternal affection had been aroused and wounded and no matter how timid +the wild mother, it will usually fight desperately when its young are +assailed. + +Now that the bear was upon his guard, the heifer was hardly a match for +him, for he could usually elude her charges and punish her sorely at +each rush; but one thing was certain: It would be no easy matter to +carry off the dead calf, and carry on such a fight as this at the same +time. + +In five minutes the cow was covered with blood and her hide had been +deeply lacerated in many places, while Black Bruin still had but one +wound, that in his shoulder. + +Little by little the heifer's frenzy was worn out, until at last she +retired to a distance and pawed the ground and bellowed. But when +Black Bruin sought to carry off the calf, she was back again fighting +every inch of the ground and often causing him to abandon the carcass +for a time. + +When she stood over the dead calf, licking the blood from its wounds +and caressing and nosing it, trying in her dumb way to bring it back to +life, she was a pathetic picture of wild motherhood, fighting and ready +to fight to the end if need be for its offspring. + +Finally toward night she seemed to understand that the calf was dead +and no longer of value to her, so, after driving Black Bruin far from +the spot, she abandoned the fight and left him conqueror and in full +possession of the field. + +When he had made sure that she had returned to the pasture, he dragged +the calf far up the mountainside into his fastness and gorged upon it +as long as it lasted. + +As the pasture in which Black Bruin had committed his depredation was a +mile from the settler's house and not often visited except to salt the +young stock kept in it, the real offender was not discovered, although +it was apparent to the farmer that the heifer had been attacked by some +wild beast. The rains, however, had so obliterated the signs that it +is doubtful if he could have read them rightly, even had he discovered +the scene of the battle. + +About a week later Black Bruin was climbing the mountainside on the way +to his fastness when the wind brought him a new scent that he had +sometimes smelled before, but what to attribute it to he had never +known. The scent was very strong and Black Bruin knew that the +intruder of his domain was near at hand. At last he made out a dim +gray shape, near the trunk of a tree. Its color so blended with its +surroundings that he might not have noticed it at all, had it not been +for two yellow phosphorus eyes that glowed full at him. + +The creature was about the size of a large raccoon, but it was no +raccoon. Its head was large and round, and surmounted by long ears +with hairy tassels at the end. Its forearm was longer and stronger +than that of a raccoon and the tail was short and not much of an +ornament. + +Whatever the animal was, it was small and possibly good to eat, so +Black Bruin made a rush at it; but quick as he was, he was not half as +quick as the lynx, which with a snarl and a spit scratched up the tree +in a manner that made the bear's own accomplishments at tree-climbing +look mean indeed. So the stranger could climb trees? Well, so could +Black Bruin. Up he scratched after it. He would follow it to the top +and then bat it off with his paw. + +When the cat had nearly reached the top of the tree, it turned around +and looked back. Its enemy was close upon it and something heroic must +be done. + +The cat measured the distance to a tree-top forty or fifty feet farther +down the mountainside; then the top of the tree in which it squatted +sprang back and the gray form shot through the air and alighted +gracefully in the distant tree-top. + +It was a great jump, and so astonished Black Bruin that he forgot to be +furious at seeing his game escape. + +This was his first experience with a Canadian lynx, but he saw them +often, once he had learned their ways. He discovered that they too +were fishermen, and hunters of small game. He often found them hunting +upon his preserves, but their broad paws fell so lightly upon the +forest carpet and their gray forms were so unobtrusive in the woods +that he did not often come to close quarters with them. + +A few days later, one evening, just at twilight, when Black Bruin was +prowling cautiously after a deer family, consisting of a buck, two +does, and three fawns, he made the acquaintance of another cat, much +larger and more supple than the lynx. + +The deer were moving slowly from point to point, browsing as they went, +when suddenly from the tree-tops, fell a long lithe figure. + +So swift and terrible was its coming that the doe upon whom it sprang +was borne to the ground. The great cat did not wait for it to recover, +but with claw and fang soon throttled it, while the rest of the herd +fled at a breakneck pace, their white flags up. + +Here was game already killed. The great cat was not over a third as +heavy as Black Bruin. It would doubtless run away at his approach as +did everything else. + +So thought the bear as he rushed in to take the kill from the cougar, +but he had reckoned without his host. + +The panther was so intent upon its own game that it did not notice the +approach of the bear until the rival hunter was within thirty feet of +the prize. Then it wheeled about and was instantly transformed into a +demon. Its tail lashed its sides, its fangs were bared in the ugliest +snarl that Black Bruin had ever faced and its eyes fairly blazed. + +Black Bruin backed off a few feet to get a better look at the terrible +stranger. He had not expected opposition and such effrontery was new +to him. + +But the panther continued to lash her sides with her tail and to glare +and snarl, so the bear circled about and about, trying to get behind +his adversary. Finally, seeing that the panther had no notion of +giving up the kill, the bear went in search of other game. + +But he was not afraid of the great cat, only astonished and curious. +He knew quite well that the deer did not belong to him and this may +have kept him from picking a quarrel. + +If he had met the cat in any of the forest highways and it had disputed +his right to any of the privileges of the ancient woods, he would have +given battle. So he was still the king of the mountain, although he +had left the cat in full possession of the deer. + +Spring and summer came and went. The blueberries ripened in the +pastures and scant clearings, and the blackberries along the edge of +the woods. All the native roots that Black Bruin knew so well grew in +abundance. + +Occasionally he stole from the distant settlements, as the king of the +mountain had a right to do, or went farther into the wilderness where +the hunting and fishing were better. Several times he ran across White +Nose and her two fuzzy cubs, but they did not have much to do with each +other until autumn came around. + +Finally the first frosts came, and the waiting forest shook out its +scarlet and crimson and golden banners, and many water-grasses and +weeds took on quite bright colors, for such humble plants. + +One moonlight night in October, when the air had begun to be clear and +crisp, and the sky was so studded with stars that it seemed as if there +was not room for even one more, a strange and lordly company came +stalking into the land of the king of the mountain. They were gray, +dim, spectral shapes and new to the region. + +They may have been looking for feeding grounds, or perhaps the autumn +restlessness was upon their leader, who was a giant of his kind,--a +broad-antlered belligerent bull moose, ready at this season of the year +to fight anything and everything that crossed his path. + +The first time Black Bruin saw the newcomers he was digging roots along +the edge of a shallow pond. He was also keeping a sharp lookout for +frogs, clams, or almost any small crustaceans. + +Presently he noticed a commotion out in the middle of the pond, which +was only about an acre in extent. Then a great head, surmounted by a +massive set of horns, came up out of the water and Black Bruin saw that +the strange creature had his mouth full of lily-bulbs and +water-grasses. Soon the huge head disappeared again, and after a few +seconds reappeared, bringing up more lily-pads. + +For half an hour Black Bruin watched the stranger diving and +reappearing. Then the great beast swam ashore, shook himself and went +crashing off through the woods, his hoofs keeping time in a rhythmic +clack, a-clack, clack. + +When he had disappeared Black Bruin advanced to the spot where he had +come ashore and smelled his track. It was not like anything that he +had ever smelled before, and somehow the scent made him angry. This +lordly monster was invading his preserves. No one but him had a right +to hunt or fish, or to eat roots in this region. So Black Bruin +followed the trail of the moose, half curious and half angry. + +He had not gone a quarter of a mile when he came up with the bull, who +was rubbing his antlers upon the branches of a low tree. + +Black Bruin watched him for several moments, until a puff of wind +carried the telltale scent to the moose, who is most wary and watchful. + +The moose threw up his head, gave a loud snort and blew his breath +through his nose with a whistling sound, then crashed off through the +forest. This fact led Black Bruin to surmise that he was afraid of +him, and nearly resulted in his undoing. + +The following day, he discovered the broad-antlered stranger browsing +upon a small tree that was bent down under his foreleg. There were two +other tall, gaunt creatures, also feeding near, and two small animals +of the same kind. These were two cow-moose and their calves. +Altogether it was quite an imposing family party. + +Black Bruin watched them curiously for a time, until finally the bull +scented him, and came charging through the bushes. + +This both astonished and angered the bear, but seeing how large and +formidable the stranger was, and how fearlessly he came on, Black Bruin +sneaked away through the bushes into some very thick cover and bided +his time. + +It came a few days later. He was poking under the dead leaves for +beechnuts, when he noticed the herd passing at a distance. The two +cows and the calves were apparently alone, and one of the calves was +straggling far behind the rest. For several days the blood-lust had +been strong upon Black Bruin, and here was his opportunity. So he +began stalking the calf warily. The wind was in his favor and in half +an hour he had worked around within striking distance. + +He first peered all about to see that the bull was not in sight, and +then made a sudden rush upon the calf. But awkward as it looked, the +calf was agile, and nearly eluded him, merely receiving a raking blow +across the shoulder, where Black Bruin had intended to break its neck. +Terrified and stung with excruciating pain, it ran hither and thither, +bleating and making a great outcry. + +But Black Bruin was not the hunter to let his prey get away if he could +help it, so he pursued the calf hotly and soon landed another blow that +stretched it upon the ground. He was so intent upon his own game, that +he did not notice the cyclone bearing down upon him. + +Suddenly the broad-antlered monster was above him, striking with +terrible cutting hoofs, which ploughed deep furrows in his shaggy coat +and cut deeper gashes. Almost before he knew it, he had been knocked +down and was rapidly being trampled to death. + +The only thing that protected him was his fat. He was so rotund and so +covered with thick layers of fat, that he slipped about under the +fearful cutting hoofs. + +He struck out viciously, laying open one of the bull's forelegs, but +without avail. In another minute his fate would have been sealed, had +not a deliverer come at the right second. + +Suddenly, from out the bushes near at hand, charged another bull moose, +bellowing frightfully as he came. He was not coming primarily to Black +Bruin's assistance, but to do battle with the first bull. One of the +cows by right was his, and he proposed to claim his rights, and battle +for them like the knights of old. + +Hearing the challenge and seeing a rival near at hand, the moose left +his victim and charged furiously at the newcomer, while Black Bruin +limped painfully into the bushes, feeling that he had found out +something about the genus moose that it was well to remember. + +He did not fully recover from his mauling until he went into winter +quarters. + +The following spring when Black Bruin came forth from hibernation, he +made a trip to a distant lake where the moose were often to be found. +He had no mind to molest them, but he did want a certain root which +grew only there. + +He went directly to the little pond where he had first seen the bull +moose, and had arrived within a few rods of the shore when his keen ear +caught a slight sound. It was a sound of pain, half-groan and +half-moan. Something was in distress. Distress in the wilderness +usually means a good dinner for some one, so Black Bruin crept +cautiously forward. Soon the wind brought moose-scent to the bear's +nostrils and he was filled with fear and tempted to flee, but still he +could hear deep groans and sighs. Coming to the edge of the water he +peered out through the bushes and discovered the mighty moose helpless +and impotent, mired in a treacherous spring bog. His legs were +entirely buried in the mud, which came up on his sides. He was covered +with foam and sweat, and so weak with thrashing and wrenching, that he +could hardly hold up his great head. + +At the sight, hate glowed hot in the small red eyes of Black Bruin. It +was this monster who had so beaten and humiliated him. Now he would +punish him, so he crept cautiously forward. + +But the strong wind blew the moose-scent in his nostrils and fear kept +him at bay. Finally the moose also scented the bear and made frantic +efforts to free himself, feeling that he was now helpless and at the +mercy of all; but his efforts were futile and he laid his head wearily +down in the mud when he had ceased struggling. + +For a whole day Black Bruin watched him, before he could overcome his +fear; then he crept cautiously out and sprang upon the bull's rear. +The great brute was by that time so spent that he hardly moved while +Black Bruin lacerated his flanks. The only sign of pain that he gave +was expressed in deep groans and sighs which seemed fairly to come from +his breaking heart. + +Soon the conqueror crept along the back to his neck, and biting and +striking at the vertebrae, quickly extinguished the strong life in the +great frame and the huge head gradually sank in the mire. For several +days Black Bruin came and gorged himself upon the carcass and did not +desist until it had entirely disappeared in the bog. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE BEAR WITH A COLLAR + +It may interest the reader to know just how Black Bruin looked in this, +his seventh year, when he had acquired his full stature, which was +enormous for a black bear. + +The California grizzly occasionally reaches a thousand pounds, while +the enormous brown Kadiak bears, the largest carnivorous animals in the +world, reach two thousand pounds; but the black bear usually averages +about two hundred. Black Bruin had far outstripped all his +contemporaries in size and prowess. In the fall of his seventh year he +weighed upon the scales four hundred and two pounds, which fairly +earned him the title of King. + +His coat was long, thick, and glossy and black in color. + +He was not as high upon the shoulders as one might expect for so large +a beast. A wolf that stands thirty or thirty-two inches at the +shoulder will weigh one hundred and twenty-five pounds and is a large +wolf. Black Bruin was probably thirty-five or forty inches high at the +shoulder, but considerably higher in the middle of the back, which also +sloped off at the rear, where he was quite rotund. His tail was so +insignificant as to be hardly noticed at all at a distance. His head +was rather small for so large an animal. His eyes were also small and +looked weak. His claws, which were non-retractile, were not rakishly +long as are the grizzly's, but protruded slightly beyond the long hair +upon his feet. + +So altogether Black Bruin was most imposing for an eastern bear. He +was sleek and well-groomed, with the exception of two or three months +in the early summer when he shed his coat. + +Living as he now did within easy reach of the abode of man, he went +more and more often to the farmhouses and took toll of the farmers. +His wariness in regard to men, which he had learned partly of White +Nose and partly from sad experience, gradually wore away and his old +life with Pedro helped him to forget how strange and fearful a creature +man is, when dealing with wild beasts. + +So while he came and went much more recklessly than he would otherwise +have done, yet his knowledge of man's ways stood him in good stead. + +He knew that man was a creature of the day, doing his work in broad +daylight, while the bear is a night prowler. He knew that at morning +and evening man came and went from the fields to his den, where he +always stayed at night. + +He knew at just what hours the man-beast would be sleeping, and when he +would come forth and tend his creatures. He had often followed his own +master in the old cubhood days at the farmhouse, from outbuilding to +outbuilding, watching him do the morning chores. + +Man's thunder and lightning he also knew and feared more than all his +other powers. Dogs he despised and he also hated them, for they often +interrupted him in his thieving. + +One Sunday morning early in June Black Bruin had been prowling about a +little Canadian village and had satisfied his appetite with a +hen-turkey, which he had happened to discover sitting far from home. +He was returning to his mountain, when, in crossing one of those broad +paths in which men always traveled, he so far forgot his usual +precautions as nearly to run into a team carrying a half-witted French +boy to early mass, that was being celebrated in the little French +Catholic church near by. + +Upon seeing the enormous black bear at such close quarters, the boy's +hair fairly stood up with fright and whipping up his horse he was soon +at the church. Throwing the lines upon the horse's back, he bolted +into the sanctuary, although mass was in progress, crying, "I see one +deevil bar, as beeg as a mountain, I deed." + +Just as the boy entered the church, a large Newfoundland dog, which had +followed one of the worshipers to mass and was waiting for his master +upon the steps, like a good Catholic, became excited at the boy's +frantic manner and bounded into the church after him. + +Seeing the great shaggy dog appear at the same instant that the boy +announced his "deevil bar," in the dimly lighted church, the worshipers +at once jumped to the conclusion that this was the "deevil bar" who had +come to eat them all up, like the wolf in "Red Riding Hood." + +Women and children screamed and rushed for a farther corner of the +church, while the more hysterical fainted. Even strong men were for a +second startled. + +But from his eminence at the altar Father Gaspard saw their mistake and +soon reassured them. + +Meanwhile, the innocent cause of all the disturbance had been as much +scared by the team as had the half-witted boy by him, and was making +for the deep woods at his best pace. + +One night, early in July, Alec Pierre, a wood-chopper, came to the +village with a startling story. He had been chopping two or three +miles back in the heavy timber. His own home was closer to the +primeval forest than any other of the many straggling farmhouses. + +He had taken his dinner, going and coming at morning and evening. Each +noon he went to a cool spring which he knew of, to eat his lunch. + +This noon he had gone as usual, only to discover that some one had +gotten ahead of him. There by the spring, sitting upon his haunches, +was an enormous black bear. In his paws he was holding the +coffee-bottle, looking at it intently, while his countenance plainly +bespoke satisfaction with the discovery. + +While the woodsman was wondering what was the best thing to do, the +bear raised the bottle to his mouth, and biting upon the cork with his +teeth, pulled it out. Then he put the nose of the bottle in his mouth +and drank the contents with as much ease as if he had been the real +owner. + +"I so scart I jes' stan' there an' say nutting. He eat my doughnut, he +eat my pie. He act jes' like folks. Pretty soon I keep on looking +some more an' I see down in his har, round hees neck one peeg collar, +jes' like a dog. + +"Heem one beeg deevil. I so scart when he drink out uv de bottle, I no +say nutting. He eat my pie, I no say nutting. I 'fraid he take my gun +by the tree an' shoot me. By gar. + +"By and by he go way and I go up an' look. Perhaps I t'ink I been +dreaming. So I pinch my lage an' it hurt, an' then I look aroun' an' +there bar-track beeg as snow-shoe. + +"Eet so queer I t'ink heaps an' heaps. Then pretty soon I t'ink he +some puddy tame bar run away. He break he chain. That why heem +collar. I say to myself, no chain, no collar. + +"Heem one tame bar run away. He know how do treeks. I catch heem in +one small log-house I beeld. When circus come round next week, or two, +I seel heem get pig money." + +Those villagers who listened to Alec's tale agreed that his reasoning +was good, but most of them characterized the story as one big lie, and +thought no more of it. But not so Alec. He had seen that day in the +wood the most wonderful sight of his life, a bear eating like folks, +and he could not get out of his head the idea that the capture of that +bear meant a fortune to the trapper who should accomplish the feat. + +Perhaps, there was also some superstition linked with his curiosity, +for nearly all Canucks are superstitious; but at any rate the very next +day he set about building the trap that should capture the "deevil +bar," and make him a rich man. + +The trap upon which Alec relied for the capture of Black Bruin was a +pen-trap. It was made in the following manner: + +Alec looked about until he discovered four trees, growing in two pairs +ten or twelve feet apart. These sets of pillars were to be the four +corners of the trap. He then set to work to cut small logs eight or +ten inches in diameter. These were a couple of feet longer than the +pen was to be and were built up one above another on the inside of the +pillars, being held in place against the trees by strong stakes driven +deep into the ground. + +In this manner the two sides and the back end of the pen-trap were +formed. The top was covered with poles, weighted down with stones. +The trap-door, which was at the front, was made of plank and slid up +and down in a groove. When it was raised, it was held in place by a +cord which passed over the top of the pen-trap and down on the back +side, finally attaching to a trigger connecting with a spindle inside +the pen, at the farther end. The bait was to be placed on this spindle +and a tug upon it would let go the trap-door. As this was weighted +with stones, it came down with a bang and anything unfortunate enough +to be inside was caught in a prison of great strength. + +It took Alec two days to build the trap, and when it was finished he +carefully removed all chips and traces of his carpentering. + +Usually a bear will not go near anything so new and apparently man-made +as a green pen-trap. So Alec did not expect success for several days. +In the meantime he took pains to bait Black Bruin and keep him in the +vicinity by placing near the spring meat and other food, that his +woodsman's instinct told him would be appreciated by a hungry bear. He +did not forget an occasional bottle of coffee. Although he did not see +the bear again for several days, yet the meat and the coffee always +disappeared, which was pretty good evidence that he was near by. + +Black Bruin heard Alec hacking and hewing at the trap, but did not +consider it anything out of the ordinary. This queer creature was +always hacking and hewing at the trees. He had often seen his +handiwork piled up in long straight piles. Once for mere amusement he +had scattered a pile in every direction. + +When he at last came suddenly upon the pen-trap one day, after it had +been baited for some time, he gave a surprised grunt and backed off a +few feet to get a better view. It looked very queer and very +suspicious. He was quite sure that it had not been there a week ago, +for he was well acquainted with the region. + +It was made of trees, but trees usually grew upright, and they always +had limbs upon them. The ends of the logs were hacked and green like +the sticks in the wood-pile. + +Black Bruin circled around and around the pen-trap, gradually drawing +nearer and nearer to it. Finally he came close enough to peep in at +the doorway. Inside it was rather dark, but at last he both saw and +smelled the calf's head that hung from the spindle. Meat had also been +rubbed about the doorway, which was most tantalizing, especially as +Black Bruin had not had any for three days. + +He licked the particles of meat that still stuck to the logs about the +doorway and then started to go in, but it seemed dark and suspicious; +beside there was a very faint suggestion of man-scent inside. Outside +the rain and the wind had obliterated all foreign scents. Man-scent +meant danger. Man was no friend of the wild creatures, so Black Bruin +backed out and very reluctantly went away. + +When Alec visited his trap the next day, he did not go near enough to +see the bear-tracks in the fresh dirt about the door, for he did not +care to leave fresh man-scent in its vicinity; so he was rather +discouraged with the failure of his efforts. The trap had now been set +for a week and nothing apparently had been near it. + +The next day Black Bruin again visited the trap, but his suspicions +were still keen and as he had killed a wood-chuck that morning, his +appetite was not ravenous, so he again left the bait untasted. + +The third time that he came near the spot, which somehow had a +fascination for him, he smelled a new and bewitching odor, one that a +bear is almost powerless to resist. It brought back to his mind that +old tantalizing picture of the row of white beehives in the back yard +of the farmhouse. + +The scent made his mouth drip saliva, and his manner, which a moment +before had been suspicious and guarded, was now eager and full of +curiosity and impatience. + +He went at once to the doorway of the pen-trap and thrust in his head. +It was as he had thought,--the ravishing scent came from inside. + +He sniffed several times and with each whiff of the honey became more +impatient. There, dangling from the spindle, was a section of the +coveted sweet. + +Black Bruin stepped inside and stretched out his muzzle toward the +honey; then he detected a man-scent about the frame that he had not +noticed before. He backed out and the hair rose on his neck. + +He then smelled all about the sides of the pen. There was no +suggestion of man-scent there. Again he returned to the honey. + +The taint about that was certain, but the honey almost drove him +frantic. So with a sudden motion he snatched the coveted prize in his +mouth and gave a hard tug at it. He would seize it before the +man-scent had power to injure him and then flee. + +But quick as were the motions of Black Bruin, the trap was quicker, for +the moment the trigger was loosed, the cord let go the drop-door and +down it came with a great bang. The bear was suddenly in darkness. + +With a loud "Uff" he dropped the honey and turned in the pen, but the +doorway by which he had entered was closed. He sprang upon it with a +growl and pushed with all his might, but he was pushing against the +pillars, which were two trees nearly a foot in diameter, and he might +as well have pushed against the side of a cliff. + +Then he whirled about and, seizing the spindle in his mouth, pulled +violently upon it, but it availed him nothing. + +Then he assailed first one wall and then another in rapid succession. +He tore the bark and also great pieces from the logs with his teeth, +but the logs were thick and he merely strewed the inside of the trap +with bark and splinters, leaving it still as strong as ever. Then he +braced crosswise upon the trap and tried to push the logs from their +places. They gave a very little when he put forth his giant strength, +but the effort was futile. + +Then he stood upon his hind legs and tried to reach the poles overhead +with his paw, but the trap was too high for this. + +For hours he raged and tore at the logs which held him so effectively. +He stripped the inside of the pen entirely free of bark, and littered +the floor with a bushel of splinters; but all his tearing and biting, +pushing and straining, prying and growling, availed him nothing. + +At last his great strength was worn out and in the place of rage at +being restrained fear came over him. It was man that had done this +thing. The scent on the honey-frame plainly said as much. He was +again in the clutches of that dread creature. + +Now his fear grew tenfold. The giant lay down in a corner, as far as +possible away from the honey that had cost him his freedom, and cowered +like a whipped dog, with his head between his paws and fear clutching +him like an awful force that he was powerless to resist. + +The following morning when Alec visited his trap, he found to his great +joy that it was sprung. Going up cautiously, he peeped through a crack +between the logs. There was the gigantic black bear cowering inside. + +When Alec's eyes became accustomed to the gloom of the pen, he saw that +the bear wore the heavy collar about his neck, although it was deeply +imbedded in the fur, and at this assurance, Alec gave a shout of +delight. + +"Heem, my deevil bar, sure enough," he exclaimed, and at the hated +man-sound Black Bruin drew farther into his corner. + +That afternoon an ox-cart, bearing a mammoth crate made of two by four +timbers, came creaking into the woods and was backed up to the +pen-trap. For an hour or so there was a sound of hammering while a +plank-covered gangway was being built from the pen-trap to the strong +crate. + +Then, to the great astonishment of Black Bruin, the door of the +pen-trap slowly lifted, and the way to freedom seemed plain. + +With a sudden rush he scrambled up the gang-plank into the crate, and a +second trap-door, as strong as that in the pen-trap, closed behind him +and he was a prisoner in a new house. + +For a long time Black Bruin could not realize that he was still a +prisoner. The light streamed in between the strong bars. He could see +his captors all about him. They were three excited, gesticulating men, +all dark, and to Black Bruin's eyes, sinister-looking like Pedro. + +He put his paws between the bars and strained with all his might. + +They pounded his paws and prodded him to make him desist, but he did +not mind their blows any more than he would those of a child. Freedom +was so near at hand. The green woods, the sweet wild woods, his woods +were all about him. The blue sky was above him. The fragrant wind +blew fresh through his prison-bars. + +It could not be that he was helpless so near to freedom. Presently +these strong bars would break and he would rush into the wilderness and +flee far from the haunts of men. + +Then the slow and curious procession started. One of the men drove the +cattle and the other two walked by the side of the crate, prodding and +beating Black Bruin whenever he strained too frantically at the +prison-bars. + +Slowly they drew out of the woods with its long dark shadows and its +aroma of pine and balsam. Gradually the forest with its dells and its +thickets, its ferns and witch-hazel, its bird-song and its chattering +squirrels, its sense of freedom and peace, was left behind and they +emerged into dusty roadways bordered by fields of grass and grain. + +This was the habitat of man, his world, with which Black Bruin +associated a chain and a collar, a sharp stick and curses and endless +tricks. + +At last he ceased to struggle and strain and stood with his head at the +rear of his cage, looking back at his vanishing world. Slowly the +green plumes of the forest faded. Even the outline of the distant +mountains was at last lost and the flat farmlands, dotted with +farmhouses and carpeted with grain-fields, took its place. + +The old world and the old life were left far behind, and when the last +blue hilltop faded, the heart went out of Black Bruin. He no longer +exulted in his strength and his cunning, for man had again undone him. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE WRECK + +For weary hours the ox-cart plodded along the country road, and at last +the long shadows deepened into twilight and the stars came out and it was +night, but still they journeyed on. + +The soft night-winds quickened into being the fragrance of many a flower +that had not been noticed in the full heat of day. But wind and +fragrance, night and daylight were all the same to Black Bruin, for that +which made the world beautiful, and his strong free life worth living, +was gone. Freedom was no longer his, and he cowered upon the floor of +his prison, laid his head between his paws, and acted more like a whipped +puppy than the great strong brute that he was. + +Finally the ox-team drew up at a long, low building, and the men unloaded +the crate upon a narrow platform. + +Here they were soon joined by another man who came from the building. + +"How long before the night freight ter H---- comes along, Bill?" drawled +one of the men in charge of Black Bruin. "Alec, here, has got a bar as +big as a cow that he is a-takin' to the circus which'll be at H---- +to-morrow. He don't want to miss it." + +"It's due now," replied the station-agent, and even as he spoke, the +shrill whistle of the freight sounded in the distance. + +A little later Black Bruin heard a distant rumbling and clanging which +was like nothing that he had ever heard before. Then there was a +vibration of the solid floor under him, and the long, heavily loaded +freight thundered down upon the little station. + +As the hideous, clanging, shrieking, hissing monster rushed down upon +them, coming seemingly straight for the wooden crate, Black Bruin sprang +against the bars with such violence that he nearly tipped it over, and +gave his captors a great scare. + +In a very few minutes, however, the crate, together with the other +freight, was hustled into an empty car, and the train pulled out and went +thundering away into the darkness. + +At first the motion made Black Bruin very uneasy, and he walked to and +fro continually; but finally this was succeeded by his being car-sick, +and he was soon glad to lie down and keep very still for the rest of the +journey. + +This was his first night upon a freight train, but it was not his last, +for ahead of him was a strange and turbulent existence. He was going to +the great city to join the circus, to be a part of that astonishing +procession which annually parades the streets of our large cities, and +which draws crowds, such as does no other entertainment. + +Toward morning, after having made several stops, the car in which Black +Bruin was a passenger was side-tracked, and a large, gilded wagon, known +to the small boy as a circus-van, was backed up to it. Then the crate +was placed against the cage on the van, and both doors were opened. + +The new prison looked much more fragile than that in which Black Bruin +was. The bars were very small and might be easily broken. It was +lighter, too, than his present abode, so after a little poking and +punching, the captive went into the other prison, and a moment later, +when he turned about to look for the doorway by which he had entered, it +was closed and the wooden crate was being taken away. Man had again +outwitted him, but the manner in which he was now confined seemed very +insecure to Black Bruin. He would soon either find a way out, or else +make one. With this in view, he went about the cage several times, +sniffing and poking his nose between the bars. He put his powerful arms +between two of the bars and strained upon them with all his enormous +strength, but they did not seem to give at all. Then he sought to grind +one to splinters between his teeth, but instead he broke a tooth, and the +effort made him see stars. + +What new and amazing substance was this, which could not be bent or +broken, or even bitten into? The more Black Bruin pushed at the iron +bars of his cage, the fainter grew that spark of hope which is the +mainspring of all life, until at last he ceased to hope altogether, and +bowing to the inevitable, no longer sought to be free. Sullenly he +glared at the gaping crowds that passed his cage daily, and the only +thing to which he looked forward was his food. This he received each day +at about noon. + +What it all meant, he could not imagine. The great crowds, the blare of +bands, the gala dress and the babel of voices all reminded him of the +country fairs that he had often attended with Pedro, in the old +dancing-bear days. + +The long journeys by rail he soon got used to, so that he was no longer +sick, but it was a weary existence. The snap and rattle of car-wheels +was continually in his ears, and if it was not that, it was the rattle +and the rumble of heavy wheels over paving-stones, the noise of the +brazen-throated circus-band, or the high and insistent calliope. Noise, +noise, noise everywhere. + +When the animals were fed, there was the roaring of the lions, the +snapping and snarling of wolves, jaguars, pumas, and the hideous laugh of +the hyena; the chattering of the monkeys, and the piping and croaking of +strange, tropical birds. And, more insistent than any of these, the +bellowing of the sacred cattle from India, and the belling and bleating +of strange deer, not to mention the cavernous trumpeting of elephants +when their keepers prodded them into obedience. + +There is but one law in the circus, and that is the law of fear. All the +wild beasts are ruled by it alone. The tricks that the great cats do are +clubbed into them, and the elephants' ears are often so torn by the +trainer's iron that they hang in ribbons. + +It is only with the domestic animals, like the horses and the trick-dogs, +that the trainer can exercise gentle persuasion. So in this great arena, +this bedlam of wild beasts, were often heard the blows of club and lash, +and the sharp report of pistols fired in the faces of unruly big cats. + +How the two mammoth tents, covering many acres, and a dozen smaller ones +came and went was a mystery to the general circus-goer. In the forenoon +they went up like white mountains, and in the evening, almost before the +last spectator had left his seat, they began to come down. Sometimes in +half an hour after the last whistle had sounded, the tents and all the +circus paraphernalia were packed in wagons and rumbling off to the depot. +It was a life of hustle and bustle, jostle and push, here to-day, and a +hundred miles away tomorrow. + +The small boy, who was up before the first pale streak of light appeared +in the east, and off to the freight-yards to see the four or five long +circus trains come in, could have told you something about the marvelous +way in which circus-men handle their strange caravan. There was always a +crowd of these enterprising urchins standing wide-eyed and with gaping +mouths, while the circus wonders were being unloaded. + +They could have told you that the great gaudy vans were loaded on a train +of flat cars, and that a single horse working a rope and pulley-block +trundled the vans from the train nearly as fast as their respective +teamsters could hitch horses to them and drive away. These boys knew +that the stake and chain wagon was always the first to leave the train. +Some of them usually fell in behind it and followed to the circus +grounds, for it was good sport to see men with heavy sledge-hammers drive +the many stakes and stretch the long chain which formed the perimeter of +the mammoth tent, and behind which all the vans would ultimately take +their places. + +After the stake and chain wagon, came wagons bearing the cooking and +dining tents, for breakfast is a most important matter when you have five +hundred hungry people to feed. By nine o'clock the vast concourse were +all on the circus ground, breakfast was over and preparations for the +great parade were on foot. Nearly everything in the circus, with the +exception of the side-shows, had to take part in the parade. + +Only the small boy, who stands upon the pavement, holding to lamp-post or +iron hitching-post to steady himself in the wild excitement, can tell you +how his heart races and his blood leaps as the first gilded chariot +swings around the corner into the main street. Thoughts of this moment +have been in the boy's mind for weeks, and the realization is always +greater than his anticipation. No matter if it is a small one-horse +show, the hallucination of paint and tinsel, and gleam and glitter are +there, and what a concourse it is! To get together this strange medley +of men and women, beasts, birds and reptiles, the ends of the earth have +been scoured. All Asia, from Siberia to India is there. Africa is +represented from the Nile to Cape Town. The steppes of Russia and every +out-of-the-way corner of Europe have been visited by the agents of the +showman, and the result is legion. South America, with the wonders of +the Amazon and the pampas and the high fauna of the Andes, is there. Our +own continent also contributes largely, for the Rockies and the Selkirks +still hold wonders for the eyes of youth. Even if we could contribute no +wild beasts, there would still be ample reward for the boy in viewing our +Indians, cow-punchers and real live scouts, such as our border-life alone +can furnish. + +It was as a feature of such a motley procession as this that Black +Bruin's van was daily rattled over the paving-stones and finally took its +place each day in the mammoth tent behind the chain, in readiness for the +noon feeding. His van always followed that of a den of gray timber +wolves and was in turn followed by the great white polar bear. + +Black Bruin often wondered why his large cousin from the Arctic Circle +spent so much of his time swaying to and fro. It was a queer trick that +he had, whenever he was not in his tank of water, of forever swaying back +and forth, back and forth. Black Bruin often felt fairly frantic +himself, and would pace to and fro for hours, but he could see no relief +in this continual swaying. + +Although he had been sold to the circus-agent as a trick-bear, who could +take stoppers out of bottles and do other marvelous tricks, yet he was so +morose during the first summer of his circus life that the keeper could +do nothing with him as a trick-bear; so he merely paraded as one of the +wild beasts. + +Men, women and little children came and went in front of his cage by the +thousands and ten thousands. Often the keeper would reach in with a +stick and poke Black Bruin to make him growl, for this amused the +children. He soon learned what was expected of him, and would growl +almost before the stick touched him. + +In the hot, stifling summer days, when his cage seemed so cramped and +unendurable, how Black Bruin thirsted for the woods, he alone knew. +Sometimes he would fall asleep and dream of the old free life, only to +wake to the torment of his prison-bars. + +There was but one incident during the first year of Black Bruin's circus +life that is worth mentioning. The circus was showing in a fair-sized +city in Northern New York, in St. Lawrence River County. The day was +exceptionally warm, the crowd was unusually large and the torment of +captivity was unusually galling to the wild beasts. + +Black Bruin was restless and paced to and fro in his cage, and sniffed +its bars more often than usual. + +Suddenly from out the babel about him a voice spoke that fell pleasantly +on his ear and in the sound was something that he remembered. When the +voice ceased speaking, some psychological reaction slipped a slide in the +brute mind, the impression of which had been gained many years before, +and the great bear saw, as plainly as he had seen it then, the farmhouse +with the chicken-coops in the front yard, and ducks, geese, turkeys and +hens all moving about over the green turf. There was the barn and the +outbuildings and the long low hen-house where he had so often robbed the +hens' nests. Then the scene shifted slightly and the dreamer saw the +orchard at the back of the farmhouse with its gnarled and twisted trees +and the row of little white houses in the shade near by. "Hum, hum, +zip--hum," went the bees flying in from their long quest afield in search +of the heart secret of the floral world. But whether it was the droning +of bees or the hum of many voices that he heard Black Bruin could not +tell. + +At this point in his reverie he looked through his bars at three of the +circus-goers who were evincing peculiar interest in him. These were a +man, a woman, and a boy of about nine years. + +"What a fine bear," the man was saying; "much larger than the old female +that I shot on that----" But the man did not finish the sentence, for +noticing the pallor that crept into his wife's face at his words and the +shiver that ran through her frame, he desisted. + +"Look here, sonny," he continued to the boy, "if we had been able to have +kept Black Bruin until now he would probably have looked just about like +this old chap. What do you think of that?" + +"Whew," whistled the boy. "Ain't he a monster? Our bear wasn't more +than a quarter as big." + +"No," replied the man. "That was because he was not grown, but he was a +fine cub when we let the peddler have him. I have often wondered what +became of him." + +"Wasn't Bar-bar cunning," exclaimed the boy, "when he was a little fuzzy +fellow and I used to roll about with him on the floor and pull his ears, +just like the photograph you had taken of us." + +"Come, John, let's look at some of the other animals," said the boy's +mother. "Bar-bar was all right, but it gives me the shivers to look at a +full-grown black bear like this." So the three moved on to the wolf-den. + +Black Bruin sniffed the bars of his cage where the man's hand had rested +upon it for a moment, as the three moved away. The man-scent too awoke +strange memories which he could not understand. It was like coming upon +a well-remembered spot in a stream where he had once captured a large +salmon, or some burrow under a stump where he had dug out a luckless +rabbit. But soon even the remembrance of the pleasant voices, that in +some strange way suggested something dim and distant, was forgotten, the +man-scent on the bars of his cage was obliterated, and Black Bruin was +back in the old rut, bumping and thumping over paving-stones and seeing +his van continually being rolled on or off the flat car which carried it. + +Finally the long hard trips were over for that season and the circus went +into winter quarters. + +This winter Black Bruin did not hibernate as he usually did, but spent +the time in a series of short naps. Each day he came forth from his +improvised den to stretch and to eat. Toward spring, by dint of much +coaxing and liberal rewards of sugar and honey, the keeper got upon good +terms with him and finally discovered most of his tricks. + +When the next season opened, the prisoner found that he was to have a +little more freedom and a rather more varied existence than that of the +year before. + +Upon the circus bills he appeared as Napoleon Bonaparte, the wonderful +trick-bear; and there was a striking and astonishing picture of him in +the act of opening a bottle and drinking from it. + +Small boys stood spellbound before this picture, and they were still more +astonished when the real live bear was led into the ring and marched up +and down with a wooden gun upon his shoulder, while the performance of +his bottle-trick always created a rustle all over the tent. This was the +surest sign of a great hit. + +So now each day, in addition to appearing in the grand cavalcade and the +street-parade, Black Bruin had to come into the ring each afternoon and +evening and go through his senseless tricks. + +The only thing that kept him good-natured and up to the mark, was the +fact that his bottle was always filled with some pleasing drink, so he +had that to look forward to after each performance of the trick. There +were also sweets in waiting for him when he came out of the ring. + +Thus went the endless round. Here to-day and there to-morrow. In the +evening a magic city of white tents would be seen upon the grounds, but +by midnight all had been stowed away in four or five long trains, which +soon were thundering over the rails to a distant city, where for the past +three weeks posters had announced the coming of the circus. + +Thus the days and weeks of Black Bruin's second year in the circus passed +and they concluded the season at Nashville, Tennessee. Then all the +paraphernalia was loaded with even more care than usual, for they were +off for the long trip northward, to their winter quarters. + +That night when they loaded the elephants and the trick-ponies, some of +them hung back and refused to board the train, a tendency most unusual on +their part; but they finally obeyed the goad and lash and all were stowed +away in their customary places. + +It was about midnight when the train bearing Black Bruin's van pulled +out. One by one the cars bumped over the switch and the long train got +under way. At first the locomotive puffed and panted as though the load +were too great for it, but finally the train got up momentum and the +car-wheels sang their old song of rat-a-clat-rat-a-clat-rat-a-tat-tat, +while the engine assumed its familiar song of + + "Rushing, pulling, snatch the train along, + Tugging, pulling, locomotive strong." + +This is the song that a locomotive always sings when it is off for a +long, hard pull. + +On, on through the darkness the train sped, the engine sending forth +showers of sparks that twinkled in the gloom like fireflies, and then +went out. + +But the most conspicuous thing about the train was the headlight, which +threw its long cylindrical shaft of light far ahead, like a mighty auger +of fire boring into the darkness. No matter how hard the engine puffed +and panted or how fast the drivers thundered over the rails, this bright +cylinder of light was always just so far ahead, illuminating the gleaming +rails, flashing into deep cuts, lighting up cliffs and forest, and long +stretches of open fields. + +Black Bruin was not asleep in his cage, as he usually was on long +journeys like this. Somehow, he felt restless and ill at ease. He +sniffed his bars often, but the heavy shutters were down and no sign of +freedom was at hand. Yet in some unaccountable manner, the wind sucking +through the cracks between the shutters blew fresher and sweeter than +usual. It tasted of pine-woods and deep tangles of swamp-land, where all +the roots that a bear likes grow. + +The train had left the low-lying lands far behind and was coming into the +foothills--those friendly steps by which tired feet climb to the +mountains above. It was rushing down a steep grade, traveling by its own +momentum, upon a rather precipitous pathway cut in a side hill, when +something happened. Perhaps it was a broken rail, or maybe a great +boulder had toppled down the mountainside and lay upon the track; but the +important thing was that suddenly, without a second's warning, the engine +bucked like a balky broncho, and after one or two mad plunges along the +roadbed, toppled over the bank and rolled into the gulley below. At the +first impact of the locomotive with the long train behind it, the freight +arched its back and writhed and twisted like a mighty serpent. Three of +the cars went over the bank still attached to the engine and the rest +piled up on one another or rolled down into the gulley, as fate willed. +There was crash upon crash and thunder upon thunder as the heavy cars +piled in a frightful heap. There was the groan of iron and steel being +bent and broken, and the crash and creak and crackle of breaking, +grinding car-floors. + +When we add to this the roar of lions, the shrieking of horses, the +trumpeting of elephants, the snarling and snapping of wolves, jaguars, +hyenas and a chorus of other cries from the circus bedlam, the roar of +steam as it escaped through an open valve in the locomotive, and the +shriek of the whistle which blew continually, we can get some idea of the +wreck, as the gorgeous splendor of the barbaric show was piled in ruins. + +It was such sights and sounds as these that greeted Black Bruin as he +squeezed through the battered, broken door of his cage into freedom. He +had felt himself rolling over and over. First he was upon the bottom of +his cage and then standing upon the inverted roof. Three times he bumped +from the top to the bottom and back again in rapid succession. What did +it mean? His van had never acted like this. + +It was all so quick that he merely emitted a frightened bawl or two and +lay still, cowering in the corner of his cage. Then in some +unaccountable way he became aware that his cage-door was open. His back +was to it, but the wind that blew in upon him, was the wind of the woods +and the waters, and not the stifling, filtered wind of his prison. + +As this sense was borne in upon him, Black Bruin lost no time in +scrambling out through the opening. + +His first act on coming forth into the open air with the moon and the +stars and the free sky above him, was to stretch. He then looked about +him as though uncertain what was coming next. + +As he stood irresolute, looking first at the wreck and then away to the +outline of a great mountain that stretched above him, seeming to reach up +into the very heavens, the long, lithe form of a panther slipped by him +and melted into the darkness. A moment later a jaguar followed it; they +were going back to freedom. + +Then Black Bruin stretched his nose high in air and sniffed the fresh +untamed winds. They were sweet with the scent of the southern pine. +Suggestions of the persimmon fruit were also there and the tantalizing +odor of witch-hazel and other sweet scents that the bear knew not. There +was a clump of underbrush just ahead and into it Black Bruin crashed. + +Weeds swished as he passed and the brush whipped his face. With bushes +parting and grasses and weeds bending at his coming, the old sense of +freedom came surging back to the escaped prisoner and he stretched out +his strong muscles, which had been so long cramped in the cage, and +shuffled up the side of the mountain at his best pace. Through thickets +and brambles he crashed with a wild exultation; up precipitate crags he +labored with feverish excitement and frenzy that grew with each moment. +He sniffed at the rustling fronds and mosses as he passed, with wild +delight. How fresh, how new, how satisfying the wilderness was! + +Now racing through deep gulches, and now scrambling up steep bluffs with +sheer delight of motion, he fled. + +At last the moon set and the stars faded and from the heart of the +Cumberland Mountains, near the top of one of its most jagged and +unfrequented spurs, Black Bruin beheld his first sunrise in southern +skies. + +Slowly the east warmed and glowed until at last the golden disk mounted +over the top of a twin peak and gilded the mountain upon which Black +Bruin stood with a flood of golden sunlight. Birds began to twitter +strange songs in the tree-tops and thickets and the high peak sang for +joy at the sun's coming. + +At this auspicious moment, Black Bruin reared upon his hind legs and +placing his forepaws high upon the trunk of a sentinel pine, raked a deep +scar in the bark. This was his hall-mark;--the sign by which he took +possession of the mountain and the surrounding lowlands, just as the +discoverers did of old. + +This land was to be his, where he would dwell and seek his meat and mate, +and live the life of a wild beast to the end of his days. + + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Black Bruin, by Clarence Hawkes + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK BRUIN *** + +***** This file should be named 21398.txt or 21398.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/3/9/21398/ + +Produced by Al Haines + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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