FATHER BEAR VISITS THE CAMP
THE following morning after his return from the cave, Mike started off
to inspect his traps. He rather suspected that the old father bear had
deserted the mother and cubs and wandered over the mountain in another
direction and possibly been trapped by some hunter. If such was not the
case, he might have come upon his mate's tracks and followed her to the
trap. In that case he might have been trapped as his mate was. There was
still another thought which came to Mike, but he disliked dwelling on
it: the bear might scent the man who stole the babies and follow him.
Mike knew of cases where a mother bear had followed her cubs for miles
and miles and then fought with the thief.
Therefore, Mike was very observing as he crept through the woods and
started through the glade where the trap was set. He saw tracks, which
had been recently made, all over the soft top ground, for the thaw had
melted the snow that bore the she-bear's tracks and soaked the ground
enough to soften it for half an inch into the frost; here were plainly
seen the marks of great paws as they trampled the area about the trap,
but never came near enough to be caught.
But there was no sign of a bear about. Looking very carefully from right
to left, Mike started back to camp, prepared at the first sound or sign
to shoot.
Mike had almost reached the camp when he heard shouts and cries of
terror. He ran as fast as he could, and found the women and Babs in the
dining-room with doors closed, shouting directions from a partially
opened window. Cookee was at the window of his kitchen waving a pail of
boiling water about. The older children were shut in the office with
faces pressed close against the panes of glass, but Don and Dot were in
his own cabin which had but one small pane of glass let in the front of
the door. The door was closed, but a ponderous shaggy bear stood
snuffling at the crack at the bottom, and uttering, ever and again, the
most terrifying growls.
The people had sought safety wherever they had been caught at the time
the bear marched into the clearing, after following the scent of his
dead mate's body. With nose to the ground he must have been on his way
toward the little shed where the she-bear hung, when a new scent greeted
his nose. He made for Mike's cabin and began to realize that his
children were in there.
Immediately he tore at the wood and demanded in stern tones to be
admitted.
Don and Dot, looking at each other in dismay, peeped out of the window
to behold that most appalling hulk standing at the door!
Mike understood, but he must plan to get a good sure shot at the
maddened bear without hitting the glass in the door.
He crawled noiselessly across half of the clearing to get an aim at the
bear from another vantage-point, but the bear, in his intensity, was all
alert to sound, and heard the almost imperceptible noise the Indian made
on the soft ground.
He turned, and stood glowering at his enemy who was about thirty feet
away. He seemed to know intuitively that this was the man who had ruined
his home, and he stood looking him over from head to foot.
Mike, very slowly, so as not to cause the beast any action, brought his
rifle up to his shoulder, but before he could take aim, the bear sprang
forward toward the man.
It took Mike but a moment to dodge into the children's cabin and shut
the door. No, not quite!
The bear wheeled as soon as Mike dodged, and came after him. The time
lost in turning the door-knob and getting inside gave the bear time to
get to the door. The door was almost closed upon the catch when the
nose of the beast came plump up against the wooden obstacle. The door
was pushed halfway open, but Mike exerted all of his strength to shove
it back again, and dragged the bureau up against it. Before he could
turn the lock to make the catch hold better the bear threw his entire
weight up against the outside and forced the door in again.
While he held his shoulder against the door to keep the bear out, he
used his rifle to smash in the glass of the little square window near
the door.
The moment this was done, Mike jumped from his post behind the door and
managed to squeeze his body through the window, while the bear, feeling
resistance give way from inside, forced himself in to devour his enemy.
Mike got out and immediately caught hold of the door from the outside
and banged it shut, caging the bear in the little room.
The bear's face appeared at the window whence his intended victim had
escaped, and he tried to get out. He could barely push his large head
through but his shoulders stuck fast in the opening.
Mike looked about for help and found every window about the clearing
with a face pressed against it. He yelled for the cook.
"Cookee! Him make Mike's lil' gun ready!--in cabin!"
The cook, seeing that the wild beast was safely shut up for the time
being, ran out of his kitchen and hurried over to Mike's aid. Mike made
him understand that a revolver was to be found in his cabin. Cookee ran
and loaded it, coming back to Mike's side, just as the bear, snarling
and chewing at the inner sill in his rage to get out, poked his head
through the opening.
"Cookee, hol' fas' door--Mike put gun in him head!" said Mike, as he
motioned the cook to take his place at the door.
At that moment, Don came out and shouted to Mike.
"Hi, there, Mike! Let's leave him in there and keep him caged up until
we go home. Dot and I'll sleep in the office if you'll let the bear live
there."
"Yes, Mike, please do," added Dot.
"Whaf'fer?" asked Mike.
"To sell to the Central Park Menagerie!" shouted Don.
"The big father bear and his two children will be fine for everyone to
come and see, and Dot and I'll get a heap of money fer 'em, and you can
have half," added Dot.
Just at that crisis, when the ladies were going to call to Mike to shoot
the bear and be done with it, the timber-men were heard coming from the
cutting.
Mr. Starr and Mr. Latimer came first, and, seeing that some unusual
event was going on, they ran over to Mike to ask the cause. Just as Mr.
Latimer's eyes came opposite the opening of the window, the bear stuck
his big bushy head out and, with eyes like balls of fire, he uttered a
snarl that curled back his lips, showing frightful fangs ready to tear
everyone to shreds.
Mr. Latimer made a queer noise, halfway between a shriek and a groan,
and fell up against Cookee. It was so unexpected and sudden that Cookee
was toppled off of his feet and the door swung halfway open again. In
that second the bear came down from the window and thundered at the
door, but Mike was too agile an Indian to have that door open, and
before the bear could get his nose through the crack, the door slammed
shut again, and Mr. Starr was stationed there to hold it.
"Meester Don an' Doot, say, 'Keep bear live for park,'" explained Mike,
waiting orders from the bosses.
As soon as Cookee gained his breath, which had been knocked out by the
sudden fall, he explained.
"The twins want to let the bear stay in this cabin and they'll sleep in
the office. They want to sell him to the park and get a lot of money."
"Shoot him, quick!" ordered Mr. Starr, seeing the wet nose of the bear
appear at the opening again.
Mike took a good aim this time and soon a crack of the gun, followed by
a heavy thud inside the cabin, made them all breathe easier. The doors
of the other buildings opened and the prisoners stepped out to ask if it
was safe to come over.
Don and Dot did not wait for an answer but ran to join the men.
Mike carefully crept up to the window and tried to see the inside of the
cabin, but he could only see the two bunks opposite the window. After a
short time, not a sound being heard inside, Mike pushed his head inside
the window.
There lay the ponderous animal on the floor under the window just as he
had dropped.
"All gone!" said Mike, laconically as ever.
The door was opened and the men peeped in first. Then the door was
opened wide and everyone went in.
"Two big dead bears, and two little live ones," said Meredith.
"Not so bad for one trap's work, eh?" said Paul.
"I was just thinking: what did Mike want these for? Did we need food, or
fur, or was it just the natural hunting spirit in most men that made him
do this," said Meredith.
"I feel that way, myself, Mete," added Lavinia. "And I am dreadfully
sorry for those dear little babies. What will we ever do with them?"
"I'm going to keep one," cried Don.
"An' I've decided to keep the other," added Dot.
"And remain in Canada after we go home, eh?" laughed Mr. Starr.
"Why, no, we'll take them with us," said Don.
"Not with my consent. Pay double fares from Winnipeg to New York, then
have everything in Oakwood torn to pieces, including the family, when
the bears grow larger."
"Oh, we'll only keep them while they are cute like puppy dogs, then
we'll send them to the menagerie," replied Don.
"Better turn them loose in the woods," said Cookee.
"Why, no, now that we have had all the trouble of getting them, and they
are orphans, they will never know any other home than a cage, so I agree
with the children--let us keep them while we remain and they will play
like puppies, then ship them to the city to be trained," said Mrs.
Starr.
As her word was generally obeyed, the matter was considered settled, and
the cubs remained where they were for a time.
In a few days, the cubs opened their tiny twinkling eyes, and soon were
able to roll around. At first they tried to stand, but their fat little
legs would not hold them up, and they rolled on the floor like balls of
fur. Many a shout of glee rang out from the dining-room when the cubs
tried to exercise. But in a week's time they could jump and run after
the twins if they teased them.
A long, hard spell of cold weather followed the bear-fight, and the
children had to play indoors every afternoon for some time, but they
preferred it on account of their new play-fellows.
The little bears grew strong and mischievous, and many a bout they had
with Don and Dot, the latter generally having to climb upon the table to
get away from them.
Mike took especial pride in keeping them clean and chubby, and the two
bears followed him as if he was a natural protector. He never teased
them and said little, but they knew that he was their foster-mother.
The first week in March, the cold broke up and the thaw began slowly but
surely to melt away the deep snows which fell in February, and ice
started to soften and crack.
The men realized that most of their season's work was completed and were
happy to find that they had cut several thousand feet more than the
figure given them. As they still had several days in which they might
work, it would figure up to nearly 50,000 extra feet of timber ready to
market.
One morning, Mr. Starr stood talking to his wife, when the children
came across the opening toward the school-room. Close upon the twins'
heels came the two cubs, stopping now and then to sniff at something on
the ground, then trying to run and catch up but falling over each other
in the attempt.
As the group came up to Mr. and Mrs. Starr, the former said, "Well,
children, our winter in the forest is almost over. Mumzie and I were
just talking about packing up for home."
"Home!" said Don, aghast.
"Oh, no!" added Dot.
"Yes, home," repeated Mr. Starr. "The rivermen will soon start the logs
down stream and there is nothing further to keep us here, but I am
needed at the other end."
"Oh, I was hoping we might live here until summer," said Lavinia,
regretfully.
"You are not homesick, then," smiled Mrs. Starr.
"Homesick! I should say not!" declared the children.
"Well, to tell the truth, children, I've had a most unusual winter of
enjoyment, but I shall be heartily glad to see my beautiful home again,"
said Mrs. Starr.
"So shall I," added Mrs. Latimer. "Camp life is fine for a few months,
but I have had enough to last me a long time. I want a porcelain bathtub
and electric lights for a change."
Everyone laughed, and the children went on to school, but the suggestion
made them all feel a bit homesick, though reluctant to leave the grand
old forests.
A few days later, Mrs. Starr and Mrs. Latimer began to pack their
various belongings, to have things in readiness to leave when the time
came.
Cookee also began packing the travelling outfit, for he would accompany
the men on the trip down the river. They would make a camp at a place
for a night or two, and then move on, as the large drift of logs
permitted.
A large case had been ordered from the town for the cubs, and it was
decided to put them in, nail slats across the top and ship them directly
to the park commissioner at Central Park, for the menagerie there.