The last time I saw Johnny he was in the top of a tree, bewailing his
unhappy lot as usual, while his mother was dashing about among the
pines, "with a chip on her shoulder," seeking for someone--anyone--that
she could punish for Johnny's sake, provided, of course, that it was not
a big Grizzly or a Mother Cat.
This was early in August, but there were not lacking symptoms of change
in old Grumpy. She was always reckoned "onsartin," and her devotion to
Johnny seemed subject to her characteristic. This perhaps accounted for
the fact that when the end of the month was near, Johnny would sometimes
spend half a day in the top of some tree, alone, miserable, and utterly
unheeded.
The last chapter of his history came to pass after I had left the
region. One day at grey dawn he was tagging along behind his mother
as she prowled in the rear of the Hotel. A newly hired Irish girl was
already astir in the kitchen. On looking out, she saw, as she thought, a
Calf where it should not be, and ran to shoo it away. That open kitchen
door still held unmeasured terrors for Grumpy, and she ran in such alarm
that Johnny caught the infection, and not being able to keep up with
her, he made for the nearest tree, which unfortunately turned out to be
a post, and soon--too soon--he arrived at its top, some seven feet from
the ground, and there poured forth his woes on the chilly morning air,
while Grumpy apparently felt justified in continuing her flight alone.
When the girl came near and saw that she had treed some wild animal, she
was as much frightened as her victim. But others of the kitchen staff
appeared, and recognizing the vociferous Johnny, they decided to make
him a prisoner.
{Illustration}
A collar and chain were brought, and after a struggle, during which
several of the men got well scratched, the collar was buckled on
Johnny's neck and the chain made fast to the post.
When he found that he was held, Johnny was simply too mad to scream. He
bit and scratched and tore till he was tired out. Then he lifted up his
voice again to call his mother. She did appear once or twice in
the distance, but could not make up her mind to face that Cat, so
disappeared, and Johnny was left to his fate.
{Illustration}
He put in the most of that day in alternate struggling and crying.
Toward evening he was worn out, and glad to accept the meal that was
brought by Norah, who felt herself called on to play mother, since she
had chased his own mother away.
When night came it was very cold; but Johnny nearly froze at the top of
the post before he would come down and accept the warm bed provided at
the bottom.
During the days that followed, Grumpy came often to the garbage-heap,
but soon apparently succeeded in forgetting all about her son. He was
daily tended by Norah, and received all his meals from her. He also
received something else; for one day he scratched her when she brought
his food, and she very properly spanked him till he squealed. For a few
hours he sulked; he was not used to such treatment. But hunger subdued
him, and thenceforth he held his new guardian in wholesome respect. She,
too, began to take an interest in the poor motherless little wretch, and
within a fortnight Johnny showed signs of developing a new character. He
was much less noisy. He still expressed his hunger in a whining _Er-r-r
Er-r-r Er-r-r,_ but he rarely squealed now, and his unruly outbursts
entirely ceased.
{Illustration}
By the third week of September the change was still more marked. Utterly
abandoned by his own mother, all his interest had centred in Norah, and
she had fed and spanked him into an exceedingly well-behaved little
Bear. Sometimes she would allow him a taste of freedom, and he then
showed his bias by making, not for the woods, but for the kitchen where
she was, and following her around on his hind legs. Here also he made
the acquaintance of that dreadful Cat; but Johnny had a powerful
friend now, and Pussy finally became reconciled to the black, woolly
interloper.
As the Hotel was to be closed in October, there was talk of turning
Johnny loose or of sending him to the Washington Zoo; but Norah had
claims that she would not forgo.
When the frosty nights of late September came, Johnny had greatly
improved in his manners, but he had also developed a bad cough. An
examination of his lame leg had shown that the weakness was not in the
foot, but much more deeply seated, perhaps in the hip, and that meant a
feeble and tottering constitution.
He did not get fat, as do most Bears in fall; indeed, he continued to
fail. His little round belly shrank in, his cough became worse, and one
morning he was found very sick and shivering in his bed by the post.
Norah brought him indoors, where the warmth helped him so much that
henceforth he lived in the kitchen.
For a few days he seemed better, and his old-time pleasure in _seeing
things_ revived. The great blazing fire in the range particularly
appealed to him, and made him sit up in his old attitude when the
opening of the door brought the wonder to view. After a week he lost
interest even in that, and drooped more and more each day. Finally not
the most exciting noises or scenes around him could stir up his old
fondness for seeing what was going on.
{Illustration}
He coughed a good deal, too, and seemed wretched, except when in Norah's
lap. Here he would cuddle up contentedly, and whine most miserably when
she had to set him down again in his basket.
A few days before the closing of the Hotel, he refused his usual
breakfast, and whined softly till Norah took him in her lap; then he
feebly snuggled up to her, and his soft _Er-r-r Er-r-r_ grew fainter,
till it ceased. Half an hour later, when she laid him down to go about
her work, Little Johnny had lost the last trace of his anxiety to see
and know what was going on.
{Illustration}