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$1.75 A YEAR.
Py WZ WZ Z away
ILE great naturalist, Cu-
L vier, made the statement
@2KQ that the wild animals of
the eastern continent are kuger,
stronger and fiercer than those
of the western continent, and
belong to a more fully developed
type. Thomas Jefferson took exception to this
doctrine, and sent the skeleton of an enommous.
New Hampshire moose to Cuvier, at Paris, to
show that the American elk exceeds the Euro-
ze.
and Clark expedition crossed
the continent to Oregon, President Jefferson was
able to demonstrate that the American grizzly
bear is the most formidable animal of its
kind in the world
Yet, generally speaking, Cuvier was
right. The tiger is Jarger than the
the lion has no American congener
buffalo is larger and more aggres:
the bison.
In the matter of bears, too, the dar!
brown or black bear of Europe and Siberia
is a larger, more savage animal than the
black bear of North America. Of this fact
Russell rnum and little Watch had a
practical illustration. For as the young
courier forded the unknown river on the
hore, and drew in to the farther
re was a stir among the young
ass, followed by a growl, and a
large bear stood up suddenly to look at
him.
Now the sight of a bear was a joy to
Watch’s eyes. Ile knew bears and held
the whole family in contempt.
When he sinelled this one, he gave a
“Wooh!” serambled out of Farnun’s
arms, dashed ashore and, diving in among
the firs, came round in the rear, Farnum
stepped from the water upon a stone and
looked to the priming of his gun, A louc
_growl ashore gave evidence that Watch
was at his professional tactics. Then fol-
lowed a lively scrimmage in the
sit p; Cager barks from Watch aad fear-
ful growls from the bear.
Farnum entered the thicket, and see-
ing that Watch had the bear's attention,
approached within a few paces and fired
at its head, The ball need from the
bear’s hard skull, tearing away one ear,
Wheeling with a roar of rage, the infuri-
ated animal charged. Its method differed
from that of the American black bear.
rose on its hind feet, then bounded for-
at leaps, erushing
num, who was a
nimble fellow, sprang aside, this way and
that; but several times the bear w:
upon him
Coming tothe river bank, Farnum leaped
into the water and waded ac ‘The
bear was still hard after him, making
such furious bounds in midstream that it
would have fared ill with our traveller but
for, Watch. For all the time the little dog
nging at the bear’s hind legs.
last the bear dashed out on the farther
bank and whirled savagely to grab its
small tormentor. But once across the water,
Watch let go.
Venowhile, Farnum had taken refuge on top
of a huge which stoc few steps back
from the river; and here he wa reloading his
rifle in haste. In its angry effo: ze Watch,
the enraged bear appeared to have “formatten
its larger enemy, although the reck was no more
than twenty yards away. From this coign of
ar
close
vss. T!
Copsright,
SY
| drawing back, with glances
to right and leit, as if half-
minded to take to his heels.
A large slate-colored dog
kept a little behind him,
but barked all the while.
To save Watch from a
battle in which he would have ever
Yours is the boldest exploit | of which I
1903, by Perry Mason Company, Boston, Mass.
Bae aa ae aes
THE_© BOLD @ AMERICAN
By : Cc. A. Stephens
“ Ood-zoo-ar!” — which
seemed to be words of
welcome. One of Healer
men made signs for
the hou:
Tsar xander I,
IN TEN CHAPTERS.— CHAPTER THREE.
DRAWN 6Y H. BURGESS,
“IT IS AN ESCAPED CONVICT!
have beeh grievously overmatched, Farnum took
him up, then made signs for the native to go
back across the gtream with him and see the
And after considerable pantomime the
ialted ‘it and wi
laughed again ;
directed wholly to Farnum’s rifle.
He
was
a jon
got in or out. It was, indeed, the strangest
dwelling which he had ever seen, being circular
in form and constructed of fir logs standing on
end close together, and roofed over skins.
was a _iabetantial log frame inside,
however, fo1 e apex of the roof was some-
thing 1 resin hope of a corn-mill, only
much and from this huge hopper smoke
was issuing,
|
DECEMBER 29, 1904.
6 CTS. A COPY.
dressing reindeer skins for cloth-
ing.
number of fat, dirty children,
regarding the stranger in wide-
eyed astonishment.
Meanwhile all those oniside
wee coming down the ladder, and the
» more than twenty-five
soon completely filled.
showed his rifle, bullets, powder,
feet ;
1
Vinweton
‘arnum
young American t water ‘hunting-knife, and in fact nearly everything he
door | had except the packet of despatches.
ible, and Farum |
was wondering how they | curiosity among the native women,
Tis cloth-
ing, buttons and watch were objects%f insatiable
who, not
content with seeing, must needs. finger
them all over and feel the seams of his
coat.
Soon the young American was glad
enough to make Watch’s whines an excuse
for climbing out to the open air
The little dog was near! antic with
anxiety for his master, having seen him
disappear down that dark, smoky hole.
Iie quite threw himself in Farnum’s face,
and barked for joy.
Ie balanced himself on his master’s
shoulder as Farnum backed down the
ladder to the ground.
Vaving his adieus SY ih his free hand,
our traveller was g leave when he
discovered that his Stee was
issing from the sheath at his bel At
he thought it posstble that " had
slipped out while he was ascending or
descending the cadders, and turned back
to the house to find
Several of the men and all the older
children had followed him out. By signs
and pointing to the empty sheath, Farnum
asked them to look for the knife. Some
of the men laughed, others shook their
heads vigorously, and the yorngsters made
grimaces. t?
While showing them the empty sheath
again, that there need be no misunder-
a
of the Tatton of his frock had been tut
"reeling but too sure now that the knife
had been stolen, he again pointed to the
sheath and then to his rifle, menacingly,
to intimate that he would fight for. his
property.
‘Thereupon they all ran round the house,
the youngsters with them, yelling like
young wolves.
Farnum was a resolute fellow. Ile
desired very much to recover his knife,
which was a very necessary part of his
outfit, but he did not deem hnnse justified
in firing on these natives for t More-
over, he was unable to put W: rate down,
for the dogs were barking and snapping
at his legs.
He chased the rogues round the house
several times, but found himself unable to
come up with any of them, and finally
went on without the knife, but in a state
of great dissatisfaction, Beyond the place
where this native camp or habitation
was situated there was the semblance of a
trail leading westward, Farnum followed
it for an hour or two, till it joined a well-beaten
track at a distance back from the sea, Night
was at hand, and coming soon to some large
birch-trees, the tops of which afforded partial
shelter from the wet, he kindled a fire from the
curling bar L here, not long after, while
collecting more fuel, he heard a horse neigh.
It seemed to be but a little way off; and bid-
ding his dog watch the pack, he took his gun
the roof was the only door; and the structure | | and went forward in the dusk, keeping among
| the t
vantage Farnum now took careful aim, and) It is quite possible that at that time many! None the less, a hole about two feet
sueceeded in sending a bullet into a vital part of | of the Koriaks and Tunguses of this coast had | diameter at the bottom of this great hopper on
the animal’s bor never seen i arms, Whether this young hunter
Little Watch stood looking on, panting but | was a Koriak ora Tungus is not made clear from | was fully twenty feet high.
delighted; and if ever a dog laughed, Watch | The entire crown of his head | ‘The old native who had made signs to Farnum
seemed to do so when his master got down from
the roc ammum looked the bear over w ith |
curiosity he animal was certainly more bony
and of more formidable appearance than
t
black bears which he had seen on the home side |
of the world,
The uproar attending the incident had been
loud enough to attract the attention of other
ns of the locality
ragain Farnum saw
watching him from the border of the firs. Watch
saw him, too, or smelled him, and gave his deep-
Observing that the man had only a fish-spear,
with a white bone head, Farnum held up his
right hand with the palm turned outward, in
token of peaceful intent. Immediately the
native came forward to the river bank, smiling
broadly and ejaculating :
“Ood- 00d-z00-ar, 00d-200-
Farnum approacl hed un offered his Tana, but
the native seemed ai >takeit. Ielaughed,
showing a prodigious of teeth, but kept!
20-5
our reminiscences.
closely sheared, but otherwise his long black |
hair hung to his shoulders. Tis clothing eas of
| reindeer skin and very dirt; |e
Farnum now made ns ‘of leave-taking, but |
the native culating excitedly and |
| dashed through the stream ata great pace, sign-
ing for Farnum to come with him. ‘arnum,
followed the native for half an hour or more.
and upon erossing the | At last they came out on the marshy shores of a | there
dark-skinned native | bay
The day had turned foggy and wet; but
round the head of the bay there appeared'to be a
human habitation of some kind, and it, was
toward this that the young native was leading
the w
Tle appeared so well disposed that Farnum
determined to go on with him to the house. As |
they drew near, a dozen natives, old and young, |
made their appearance, staring at the newcomer.
There was also a mob of dogs, and Watch had
ian to be taken up into his master’s arms.
After the native who had conducted Farnum
to the house spoke with the others, they began
| to laugh, and several cried, “ Ood-zoo!” and
to enter led the way to the
a Hind of ladder, 1 ‘by cutting holes in a long
x and setting it upright against the wall. The
ites led to the hopper on the roof, and thence
the Youte ‘to the interior w the hole,
where another similar log ladder made it possible |
to descend to the ground inside.
‘rectly under eat the hole in the hopper
fire burning, and the smoke which
rose through the hole by no means added to the
pleasures of entrance. Farnum followed the
old native first up, then down the ladder, and for
the time left Watch on the roof, out of reach of
the other dogs,
Inside the house it was so dark that at fi
the visitor could see nothing ; but he felt his face
| softly patted by several old women, who laughed
}and cackled more ood-zoos, by way of wel-
come.
As the American’s eyes gradually opened in
the gloom, he saw that there were six women
sitting on a raised platform round the wall of
the habitation, engaged in currying or otherwise |
where there was
| hia
rees beside the trail, to see who or what was
near.
Immediately he heard horses stamping, and
then made out three small, shaggy steeds, tethered.
to trees close beside the way
A moment later he caught sight of a man of
somewhat strange appearance, wearing a hood
and coming along the trail with a gun in his
unds.. The stranger appeared to have seen
fire, or smelled the smoke, and, like
reconnoitering.
“TTello, friend!” num called out, for thus
val
far he had learned none of the many languages >
and dialects of Siberia.
The hooded man started and half-raised his
gun. Thinking that he might fire, the American
tepped to cover of a tree trunk, then held up his
hand and qalled out again.
In reply the stranger now cried, “ Ueh-ister-
sinis 2” which meant, “What do you want
but signified nothing to Farnum. Ile continued
making signs of peaceful intent, however, and
laid his rifle on the ground.
Thereupon the hooded n t down his own
gun, and coming forward, struck his breast twice
L
cary cure Suosiswiy CT sow
