OCR Text |
Show 1 THE HUNTER'S FRIEND. M Tn a liut on tno BllJo of n mountain E Hilvcd an old huntor all alono. Ho had 5j only ono room, which was vory scant- J lly furnished, and ho cooked his meals a In a nroplaco. M You need not pity this old man, for JJ ho would rather eat his food cooked In I this way than In nny other. Ho had a 1 bunk built In thn room about half way I up tho wall, whero ho had to climb a I ladder to reach It, and when ho went I to bed ho covered himself with a big fl bearskin. Uesldo tho hunk a gun hung TTp" on tho wall, whero ho could quickly l reach It if it were needed. Across tho i door at night ho fastened a big bar, ' for ho did not Intend that anyone i nhould enter whllo ho was asleep. fTho old huntor had sot a trap by his door, und ono morning ho found a jj baby bear caught In It by tho loft hind ! paw. Ho very carofully opened tho trap and took tho llttlo follow out. Then ho look Johnnlo Hear, as no named him, into the cabin, and vory Drank the (a1lk Very Greedily. ff ' carefully washnd th6 poor cut foot I, and bound It up with some healing I salvo. ft Johnnie Dear seemed to know that A, tho hunter was helping him, and ho Hi did not bito or try to get away. Ho ffjp, mado a funny Jlttlo nolso like a baby Sff- ' whon ft is hurt. TKon'ttio huntor W warmed spmo milk and put it in a bot- tlo. which ho gavo to tho bear. John- I nio Dear took tho bottlo in both paws 1 and hold it up to his mouth and drank I tho milk vory greedily. Then tho I hunter fixed a bed for him and put a ?-r4 log on tjj0 flro to jjpgp tll0 piaco Wntin whllo ho went for a hunting trip. Johnnlo Dear slept all day, and when tho hunter returned at night Iih tried to run to moot him, but his poor foot hurt him so ho had to Ho down again. Sovoral weeks passed toforfl Johnnlo Dear's foot becamo quite well, nnd ho always limped boc'auso thi trap had cut so doep. Tho llttlo follow becamo quite fond of tho huntor and would run to meot him at night, and when tho hunter gp brought in his gamo, Johnnhi Dear would poko it with his noso aul paws as though to tell tho hunter that he had dono well. Ono day ho did not run to moot tho huntor, and when night canlo ho did not como to his supper. Tho old huntor began to look around tho cabin, and ho found tho footprints of two -" - bears. Ono was Johnnlo Dear's, which ho could tell by tho light mark which tho lamo foot mado, and tho other wnB of a big bear which had enticed Johnnlo bnck into tho woods. Tho huntor felt very lonely nnd looked for Johnnlo ovcry day for a long timo, but after a year had gono by gavo up hopes of ovor seeing Johnnlo again. A long timo nftcr this tho hunter wns going through a part of the wood that was filled with bushes and vines, and in somo wny his feet becamo entangled nnd ho foil, breaking his arm. His gun foil somo distanco from him, nnd ns ho went to pick it up ho saw n big mother bear with t'wo cubs coming toward him. Sho was growling growl-ing nnd showing her teeth, nnd tho huntor felt that ho had llttlo chanco for cscapo from a fight. Ho wondered how tho fight might como out. Ho braced himBolf against a trco k and waited for tho bear to como up. , Ho hold his gun in his loft hand, in tending to uso It to beat hor off as long ns possible Just thon another bear camo In sight, and tho poor hunter hunt-er gavo up all hopo. Dut all at once l tho first bear stopped and looked at U tho other hear, then suddenly walked T toward him. Doth Btood nnd looked at tho huntor, who did not movo. Sud donly tho second beat- growled strango-ly, strango-ly, and tho flrfit bear walked away with tho two cubs. Thon the second boar camo nearer, and as ho walked tho hunter saw that ho limped. It was Johnnlo Denr, and in somo unknown un-known langungo ho had sant tho other a bear away and saved tho huntor's lifo. E Ho did not como nny nearer tho hunt- I er, but only looked at him as though I to say: "You sovod my life onco, gj now I havo paid my debt to you,' f Fhen ho limped away in tho direction 1 the other bears had guno. Porhaps jft tho mother bear was Johnnie's wife, ind the cubs were their children, M Who can toll? t |