Ballou's Monthly Magazine, Vol. XXVII, No. 1 — page 52: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

o6 echoed back from every side, clear and dis- tinct; and before the reverberation had ceased, another sound came from the woods, a few rods beyond the fields. The cattle, which were all standing a little way from me, pricked up their ears, and wheeled close to- gether, facing the direction of the sound. “Another blow, another echo; again that loud call, and now it was answered by a sim- ilar one, at a greater distance. Though the call was new to me, I doubted not two bears were near, and the terror of my dumb com- panions confirmed my opinion. I thought for one instant they might be frightened by the noise I was making and retire; but upon giving another blow the call was nearer. Turn- ing hastily toward the gateway by which the cattle entered the pasture, I opened it, closely followed by cattle old and young, and six sheep, which had fled from the woods in hot haste at the first sound of the bears. Securing the cattle in the barn with many hasty glances in the direction of the slowly ap- proaching, dreadful calls, I seized a measure of corn and ran toward the house, calling my poultry. The last chick entered the little back-room with me, as. two large bears leisurely tumbled over the fence into the road. I always kept the house pretty well shut up when father was away, and now I only hada door or two to close and bar, and we were as safe as we could be. “What was before me? The two bears might reconnoitre, return to the corn-field, make their dinner there, and trouble me no more; but while the thought was still in my mind they turned toward the barn, attracted no doubt by the bleating of my pet sheep. Round and round it they walked, sniffing here and there, and now and then biting at the corner of a timber. I did not much fear their getting into the barn, for it was very stoutly built of logs. But how long we might be kept prisoners I knew not. “Father’s gun caught my eye. “*Why not shoot one of them if I havea chance ?’ said I. “TY took the gun down—drew the charge of shot, loaded it anew, and returned to the window whence I had watched my foes. - I had closed the shutters all around, except the upper half of this one. “Tired of wandering round the barn, the monsters turned towards the house. I dashed the breech of my gun through a pane of glass, that I might have a porthole from which to fire in case of an opportunity. Resting the My Mother and the Bears. barrel of my gun in the breach thus made, I paused. Steadily they came on, unconscious of any evil intent on my part. They paused. My gun covered the front of the first. Dizzier than ever in my life, I pulled the trigger—my shot was true. The male lay dead. The fe- male smelled round and round it, moaned, I thought called its mate in tones full of grief; but I had not much time to think, watching my foe, reloading my gun, quieting my boys, who were screaming with fright; I took as good aim as before. Success had nerved my arm; still my second ball only wounded the living bear. Perceiving her adversary, she dashed towards the window. I seized a blazing brand from the hearth—” “Was it this hearth, and that window 2” cried little Susie. “Yes, dear, this hearth and that window. As I was saying, I flung it full in her face, as she put her vicious nose in at the broken pane. She started back with a dismal howl, and 1 fell to loading my gun for the third and last time, for to my horror, I saw there was but one bullet left. The bear crawled half- blinded back to its mate and lay down by its side. “JT aimed again just behind the shoulder; but my courage failed for an instant. Should this shot not prove true what would be our fate! But it was my only chance. I fired and again seized my brand. When I looked forth I found my adversary had changed her position, but seemed content with watching her foe. “During this time, the sky had become overcast unobserved by me, and now a fine rain began to fall. Hastily giving the boys some bread and a basin of milk, I assumed my post. Day waned, night came on. With the last ray of daylight the bear was still alive. “No longer able to see my foe, I rejoiced when the poultry were settled for the night, and hushing Tommy to sleep, Lplaced him by his brother, who had fallen asleep in one corner of the settle. “ My children, I hardly know how the night wore away. Every time the butternut swept against the house, I thought it the bear scrambling up at the window. Many times in the lull of the storm, I heard her low growling. “ Day came at last, heralded by crowing of cocks, lowing of cattle, bleating,of sheep, all impatient of their long imprisonment without food or water. My heaohatitd owls om