| Show 0 davi avi t chapters from canadas jungle book the bear mascot Alasci at 0 ON N A previous visit to jasper park in the canadian I 1 have always made it part of my program to drop into the warden headquarters of the park and sandbag my old friend 11 1 1 S davis for a column dealing with the private lives of wild animals or birds with which he holds the same sort of communion communion that exists between thoroughbreds and horse trainers nature has no secrets that he does not share all wild things are comrades with him this time I 1 asked for a bear story an old id or a young bear both that brings to mind he said t the he time when a football club from hamilton turned up in the park in search of a bear mascot securing fifty feet of sash weight cord they went into the brush and located a four months cub apparently alone which they lassoed and prepared to make captive bad business in a bear country before they had time to effect a huddle or arrange means for the getaway get away mother bear accompanied by two other cubs turned up apparently from nowhere and routed the pigskin kickers who fled leaving the mascot with the sash weight cord still noosed koosed upon his neck young bruin glad of freedom bolted for a jack pine and swarmed into the branches fifty feet aloft the cord trailing behind mother bear bewildered by the long flapping cord attached to her offspring shinned chinned up after him and made an investigation which developed nothing to her satisfaction she tried to coax him down to rejoin brother and sister bear waiting at the bottom of the tree youn bruin ilan hangs s himself stubborn at the outset but finally allowing himself to be persuaded the mascot cautiously at first began backtracking downward through the thick branches coming presently to grief when the sash cord entangled yanked him from the lower limbs and tightened as he slipped into space leaving the cub suspended that is to say hung quite zo so I 1 mother bear already down and waiting with the other two cubs heard the mascots first wild howl suddenly silenced as the noose drew together above apparently self e executed the cub snorting intermittently writhed upward using his paws got a straddle of another limb there to recover his breath up the he bole of the jack pine the old bear again scrambled further adding to her complexities she understand why her cub making manly efforts to descend at her request toppled from his perch and all but hung himself four times hand running in each instance she boosted him back to safety but could not get him free an indian who witnessed the preliminary confusion following the disappearance of the football team came in to jasper park and notified the game wardens of her predicament mystified by what was occar occurring ring midst the branches of the gallows tree she was not inclined to allow any one to approach the scene of action an aerial rescue ten feet distant from the tree occupied by the mascot stood another pine whatever of rescue was to be tried must be done from there by the climbing expert who was ready with a long pole to which had been woven a sharp hunting knife mother bear resented his every attempt to reach the tree and scale it As a last resort those present armed with brickbats brick bats rushed the mother bear pelting her until she changed her position long enough for the pole lineman to get out of the danger zone and install himself in the tree adjoining the cubs quarters every attempt on the part of the rescuer to cut away the sash cord entanglements entangle ments was frustrated by the cubs repeated slapping at the blade tied on the pole great caution was necessary to avoid wounding t the he captive violently opposed to the efforts that were wera being made for his preservation again the old bear returned to the tree and made a final attempt to reach her now highly inarticulate cub still engaged in batting at the knife which the lineman adroitly kept out of range presently in the midst of our joint maneuvers the mascot endowed with good luck twisted himself into a knot and was rendered helpless to strike at the long handled knife designed for his liberation with one swift thrust forward and upward the blade severed the cord close to the clubs neck freed the tension and gave young bruin his liberty with a howl of joy the football mascot started down slipped landed on oil his mother now halt half way up the jack pine and knocked her loose they hit the welcome earth of alberta province with great violence the mother recovering first only to begin licking her offspring copyright Ber bertics |
