WhenmycomradeandDamianhadseenthebearknockmedownandbeginworryingme，theyrushedtotherescue。Mycomrade，inhishaste，blundered，andinsteadoffollowingthetroddenpath，ranintothedeepsnowandfelldown。Whilehewasstrugglingoutofthesnow，thebearwasgnawingatme。ButDamianjustashewas，withoutagun，andwithonlyastickinhishand，rushedalongthepathshouting:
’He’seatingthemaster！He’seatingthemaster！’
Andasheran，hecalledtothebear:
’Ohyouidiot！Whatareyoudoing？Leaveoff！Leaveoff！’
Thebearobeyedhim，andleavingmeranaway。WhenIrose，therewasasmuchbloodonthesnowasifasheephadbeenkilled，andthefleshhunginragsabovemyeyes，thoughinmyexcitementIfeltnopain。
Mycomradehadcomeupbythistime，andtheotherpeoplecollectedround:theylookedatmywound，andputsnowonit。
ButI，forgettingaboutmywounds，onlyasked:
’Where’sthebear？Whichwayhashegone？’
SuddenlyIheard:
’Hereheis！Hereheis！’
Andwesawthebearagainrunningatus。Weseizedourguns，butbeforeanyonehadtimetofirehehadrunpast。Hehadgrownferocious，andwantedtognawmeagain，butseeingsomanypeoplehetookfright。Wesawbyhistrackthathisheadwasbleedingandwewantedtofollowhimup；but，asmywoundshadbecomeverypainful，wewent，instead，tothetowntofindadoctor。
Thedoctorstitchedupmywoundswithsilk，andtheysoonbegantoheal。
Amonthlaterwewenttohuntthatbearagain，butIdidnotgetachanceoffinishinghim。Hewouldnotcomeoutofthecircle，butwentroundandroundgrowlinginaterriblevoice。
Damiankilledhim。Thebear’slowerjawhadbeenbroken，andoneofhisteethknockedoutbymybullet。
Hewasahugecreature，andhadsplendidblackfur。
Ihadhimstuffed，andhenowliesinmyroom。Thewoundsonmyforeheadhealedupsothatthescarscanscarcelybeseen。
(Writtenabout1872。)
whaymenlivebyWHATMENLIVEBY
’Weknowthatwehavepassedoutofdeathintolife，becausewelovethebrethren。Hethatlovethnotabidethindeath。’——I
EpistleSt。Johniii。14。
’Whosohaththeworld’sgoods，andbeholdethhisbrotherinneed，andshuttethuphiscompassionfromhim，howdoththeloveofGodabideinhim？Mylittlechildren，letusnotloveinword，neitherwiththetongue；butindeedandtruth。’——iii。17-18。
’LoveisofGod；andeveryonethatlovethisbegottenofGod，andknowethGod。HethatlovethnotknowethnotGod；forGodislove。’——iv。7-8。
’NomanhathbeheldGodatanytime；ifweloveoneanother，Godabidethinus。’——iv。12。
’Godislove；andhethatabidethinloveabidethinGod，andGodabidethinhim。’——iv。16。
’Ifamansay，IloveGod，andhatethhisbrother，heisaliar；forhethatlovethnothisbrotherwhomhehathseen，howcanheloveGodwhomhehathnotseen？’——iv。20。
ASHOEMAKERnamedSimon，whohadneitherhousenorlandofhisown，livedwithhiswifeandchildreninapeasant’shut，andearnedhislivingbyhiswork。Workwascheapbutbreadwasdear，andwhatheearnedhespentforfood。Themanandhiswifehadbutonesheepskincoatbetweenthemforwinterwear，andeventhatwasworntotatters，andthiswasthesecondyearhehadbeenwantingtobuysheep-skinsforanewcoat。BeforewinterSimonsavedupalittlemoney:athree-roublenotelayhiddeninhiswife’sbox，andfiveroublesandtwentykopeks[6]
wereowedhimbycustomersinthevillage。
Soonemorninghepreparedtogotothevillagetobuythesheep-skins。
Heputonoverhisshirthiswife’swaddednankeenjacket，andoverthatheputhisownclothcoat。Hetookthethree-roublenoteinhispocket，cuthimselfasticktoserveasastaff，andstartedoffafterbreakfast。’I’llcollectthefiveroublesthatareduetome，’thoughthe，’addthethreeIhavegot，andthatwillbeenoughtobuysheep-skinsforthewintercoat。’
Hecametothevillageandcalledatapeasant’shut，butthemanwasnotathome。Thepeasant’swifepromisedthatthemoneyshouldbepaidnextweek，butshewouldnotpayitherself。ThenSimoncalledonanotherpeasant，butthisonesworehehadnomoney，andwouldonlypaytwentykopekswhichheowedforapairofbootsSimonhadmended。Simonthentriedtobuythesheep-skinsoncredit，butthedeaderwouldnottrusthim。
’Bringyourmoney，’saidhe，’thenyoumayhaveyourpickoftheskins。
Weknowwhatdebt-collectingislike。’
Soallthebusinesstheshoemakerdidwastogetthetwentykopeksforbootshehadmended，andtotakeapairoffeltbootsapeasantgavehimtosolewithleather。
Simonfeltdownhearted。Hespentthetwentykopeksonvó；dka，andstartedhomewardswithouthavingboughtanyskins。Inthemorninghehadfeltthefrost；butnow，afterdrinkingthevó；dka，hefeltwarmevenwithoutasheep-skincoat。Hetrudgedalong，strikinghisstickonthefrozenearthwithonehand，swingingthefeltbootswiththeother，andtalkingtohimself。
’I’mquitewarm，’saidhe，’thoughIhavenosheepskincoat。I’vehadadrop，anditrunsthroughallmyveins。Ineednosheepskins。Igoalonganddon’tworryaboutanything。That’sthesortofmanIam！WhatdoIcare？Icanlivewithoutsheepskins。Idon’tneedthem。Mywifewillfret，tobesure。And，trueenough，it’sashame；oneworksalldaylong，andthendoesnotgetpaid。Stopabit！Ifyoudon’tbringthatmoneyalong，sureenoughI’llskinyou，blessedifIdon’t。How’sthat？Hepaystwentykopeksatatime！WhatcanIdowithtwentykopeks:Drinkit——that’sallonecando！Hardup，hesaysheis！Sohemaybe——butwhataboutme？Youhavehouse，andcattle，andeverything；
I’veonlywhatIstandupin！Youhavecornofyourowngrowing；Ihavetobuyeverygrain。DowhatIwill，Imustspendthreeroubleseveryweekforbreadalone。Icomehomeandfindthebreadallusedup，andIhavetoforkoutanotherroubleandahalf。Sojustyoupayupwhatyouowe，andnononsenseaboutit！’
Bythistimehehadnearlyreachedtheshrineatthebendoftheroad。
Lookingup，hesawsomethingwhitishbehindtheshrine。
Thedaylightwasfading，andtheshoemakerpeeredatthethingwithoutbeingabletomakeoutwhatitwas。’Therewasnowhitestoneherebefore。Canitbeanox？It’snotlikeanox。Ithasaheadlikeaman，butit’stoowhite；andwhatcouldamanbedoingthere？’
Hecamecloser，sothatitwasclearlyvisible。Tohissurpriseitreallywasaman，aliveordead，sittingnaked，leaningmotionlessagainsttheshrine。Terrorseizedtheshoemaker，andhethought，’Someonehaskilledhim，strippedhim，andlefthimhere。IfI
meddleIshallsurelygetintotrouble。’
Sotheshoemakerwenton。Hepassedinfrontoftheshrinesothathecouldnotseetheman。Whenhehadgonesomeway，helookedback，andsawthatthemanwasnolongerleaningagainsttheshrine，butwasmovingasiflookingtowardshim。Theshoemakerfeltmorefrightenedthanbefore，andthought，’ShallIgobacktohim，orshallIgoon？IfIgonearhimsomethingdreadfulmayhappen。Whoknowswhothefellowis？Hehasnotcomehereforanygood。IfIgonearhimhemayjumpupandthrottleme，andtherewillbenogettingaway。Orifnot，he’dstillbeaburdenonone’shands。WhatcouldIdowithanakedman？Icouldn’tgivehimmylastclothes。Heavenonlyhelpmetogetaway！’
Sotheshoemakerhurriedon，leavingtheshrinebehindhim——whensuddenlyhisconsciencesmotehimandhestoppedintheroad。
’Whatareyoudoing，Simon？’saidhetohimself。’Themanmaybedyingofwant，andyouslippastafraid。Haveyougrownsorichastobeafraidofrobbers？Ah，Simon，shameonyou！’
Soheturnedbackandwentuptotheman。
Simonapproachedthestranger，lookedathim，andsawthathewasayoungman，fit，withnobruisesonhisbody，onlyevidentlyfreezingandfrightened，andhesatthereleaningbackwithoutlookingupatSimon，asiftoofainttolifthiseyes。Simonwentclosetohim，andthenthemanseemedtowakeup。Turninghishead，heopenedhiseyesandlookedintoSimon’sface。
ThatonelookwasenoughtomakeSimonfondoftheman。Hethrewthefeltbootsonthegroundundidhissash，laiditontheboots，andtookoffhisclothcoat。
’It’snotatimefortalking，’saidhe。’Come，putthiscoatonatonce！’
AndSimontookthemanbytheelbowsandhelpedhimtorise。Ashestoodthere，Simonsawthathisbodywascleanandingoodcondition，hishandsandfeetshapely，andhisfacegoodandkind。Hethrewhiscoatovertheman’sshouldersbutthelattercouldnotfindthesleeves。Simonguidedhisarmsintothem，anddrawingthecoatwellontrappeditcloselyabouthim，tyingthesashroundtheman’swaist。
Simoneventookoffhistorncaptoputitontheman’shead，butthenhisownheadfeltcold，andhethought:’I’mquitebald，whilehehaslongcurlyhair。’Soheputhiscaponhisownheadagain。
’Itwillbebettertogivehimsomethingforhisfeet，’
thoughthe；andhemadethemansitdown，andhelpedhimtoputonthefeltboots，saying，’There，friend，nowmoveaboutandwarmyourself。Othermatterscanbesettledlateron。Canyouwalk？’
ThemanstoodupandlookedkindlyatSimon，butcouldnotsayaword。
