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Page 27
But, so far from being penitent or frightened, the bear took this
interference, and especially the blow, in very bad part, and after a
moment of blinking astonishment, he sat up on his haunches, growled a
little, showed his teeth, and intimated very plainly that unless that
pail of berries was restored at once, there would be trouble for some
one. But this was not the first bear-cub that Roxie had seen, and her
temper was up as well as the bear's. So, firmly grasping the pail, she
began to retreat backward, at first slowly, but as the bear dropped on
his feet and seemed inclined to follow her, or rather the pail of
berries, she lost courage, and turning, began to run, not caring or
noting in what direction, and still mechanically grasping the pail of
berries.
Suddenly, through the close crowding pines which had so nearly shut out
the daylight, appeared an open space, and Roxie hailed it with delight,
for it was the river, and once across the river she felt as if she
would be safe. Even in the brief glance she threw around as she burst
from the edge of the wood, she saw that here was neither the bridge nor
the ford which she had crossed in the morning; a point altogether
strange and new to her, and, as she judged, further down the river,
since the space from shore to shore was considerably wider. But the
bear was close behind, and neither time nor courage for deliberation
was at hand, and Roxie, after her moment's pause, sprung forward upon
the snowy ice, closely followed by the clumsy little beast.
At that very moment, a mile further up stream, Mr. Beamish and his son
Jake were cautiously driving Rob across the frozen ford, and the old
man was saying:
"I'm afraid we'll have to go round by the bridge after this, Jake. I
shouldn't wonder if the river broke up this very night. See that
crack."
[Illustration: THE RESCUE.]
"It wouldn't do for Roxie to come over here alone again," said Jake,
probing the ice-crack with his stick.
And Roxie,--poor little Roxie,--whom Jake was so glad to think of as
safe at home, was at that very moment stepping over a wide crack
between two great masses of ice, and staring forlornly about her, for a
little way in advance appeared another great gap, and the bear close
behind was whimpering with terror as he clung to the edge of the
floating mass upon which Roxie had only just leaped, and which he had
failed to jump upon. Shaking with cold and fright, the little girl
staggered forward across the ice until at its further edge she came
upon a narrow, swiftly rolling tide, increasing in width at every
moment--the current of the river suddenly set free from its winter's
bondage, and rapidly dashing away its chains.
Roxie turned back, but the crack that she had stepped over was already
far too wide for her to attempt to repass, and a gentle shaking
movement under her feet told that the block on which she stood was
already in motion, and that no escape was possible without more
strength and courage than a little girl could be expected to possess.
The bear had climbed up, and now crouched timidly to the edge of the
ice, moaning with fear, and seeming to take so little notice of Roxie
that she forgot all her fear of him, and these two, crouching upon the
rocking and slippery floor of their strange prison, went floating down
the turbulent stream.
The twilight deepened into dark, the stars came out bright and cold,
and so far away from human need and woe! Little Roxie ceased her
useless tears, and kneeling upon the ice put her hands together and
prayed, adding to the petition she had learned at her mother's knee
some simple words of her own great need.
A yet more piteous whine from the bear showed his terror as the
ice-block gave a sickening whirl, and crawling upon his stomach he
crept close up to the little girl, his whole air saying as plainly as
words could have spoken:
"Oh, I am so scared, little girl, aren't you? Let us protect each other
somehow, or at least, you protect me."
And Roxie, with a strange, light-hearted sense of security and peace
replacing her terror and doubt, let the shaggy creature creep close to
her side, and nestling down into his thick fur, warmed her freezing
fingers against his skin, and with a smile upon her lips went
peacefully to sleep.
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