A CURIOUS AND REAL STORY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1234, 2 September 1884, Page 3

A CURIOUS AND REAL STORY.

George Swift, ranchman in the Grand Valley tells a story which shows how unenviable is the life of a stock raiser in that wilderness. A short time ago Mr Swift let his three year old daughter ride upon his horse and after he bad ridden about rods from home he lifted her off the , animal and told her to run home. On returning about an hour later he found that she had not reached home, and going to the place where he had last seen her he found her tracks in the sand. A posse was formed and all night was spent in searching for the lost child. In the morning when the searchers were paseingswampy spot where the undergrowth was thick they heard her voice. They called the little girl to come out of the bushes, but she replied that the bear would not let her. The men then crept through the bush, and when near the soot heard a splash in the water, which the child said was the bear. They found her standing upon a log extended half way across the swamp and it seemed as though the bear had undertaken to cross the swamp on the log and being pursued left the child and got away as rapidly as possible. She had received some scratches about the face, arms and legs, and her clothes were almost torn from her body but the bear bad not bitten her to hurt her, only the marks of his teeth being found upon her back, where he had taken hold of her clothes to carry her. The child told her rescuers that the bear ha d put her down occasionally to rest, and would put his nose up to her face, whereupon she would slap him and he would hang his head by her and pur and rub against her like a cat. Her father asked her if she had been cold during the night, and she told him that the old bear lay beside her and put his “ arms" around her and kept her warm.—Corr. Glasgow Herald.