Washington sentinel., 1854-02-10
Wasbington gsntinel.
a bear Hunt in the Pyrenees.

every year in autumn. II was in the wild for
ests that lie adjacent to the little Spanish town
of Venasque that this hunt took place this
year.
1t was on Wednesday, the 5th Of October,
that the caravan, composed of nine or ten hun
ters and a similar number of traqueurs to beat
up the game, put itself in motion. After hav-
ing crossed the harbor of Venasqne the party
took the direction Of the Baths, at which they
had resolved to pitch their headquarters. In
'front.' on the opposite side, the Esquerero rises,
in quarter known as the Litarota This place
had been already indicated as affording excel
lent chances for sport. The presence Of bears
there had even been ascertained. A Spanish
woodman had unexpectedly fallen in with one
Of the denizens of these savage retreats. The
bear, disturbed from his rest, seized him by the
thigh with his powerful jaws, and tore him terri
bly,. Thepoor woodman, as he narrated the story
himself, while showing his yet scarcely healed
wound, said he gave himself up for lost but
the animal, whether from indifference or whether
from that repugnance mingled with fear which
inclines all the lower creatures to flee from
man, spontaneously abandoned him and quietly
regained the depths Of the forest.
On Thursday morning, the alcalde of We
nasque and three or four of the principal citi-
zens of the town paid the French the compli-
ment of coming and joining them; and the field
of hunters, taking advantage of o fine autumn
morning, started, some to organize the bdttue,
the Others to take possession of their posts. AT
the very entrance of the track, the first bear
was started. One of the traqleurs, named Gus
talet, from Bagneres de Luchon, had the op-
portunity of shooting at him as he started, and
almost close to the muzzle; but, whether the
shot was badly aimed or whether the animal
was only slightly wounded, he rapidly made
of, and was not slow in disappearing in di-
rection opposite to that in which the hunters
were posted. Incidents which Immediately
supervened, however, did not allow of his track
being followed.
The battae was continued for some time with
out leading to any results. The trague,,rs, hav-.
ing already gone over the whole of the ground
assigned to them, had begun to despair of any
sport for that day, when all on sudden bear
OF formidable size rose in the very midst Of
them.- After having remained long time i'm
movable, in spite Of the noise Of all sorts which
had been making around him, he at last de.
eided on quitting his retreat. Shot at immedi-
ately by a Spanish traqueur, he was reached by
a shot, which went through his foot. His
wound, too slight to arrest his progress, was
nevertheless sufficiently telling to force him to
descend towards the less-elevated regions Of
the mountain. The hunters marshalled on the
edge of vast glade saw him at distance.
Hunters and tdqueurs at once rushed down
from the summit of the Esquerrero, and, follow
ing the traces Of blood which served to guide
them, they all soon found themselves met at
the foot of the mountain. 1t was evident that
the bear, finding himself wounded, had sought
refuge in some thick clumps of hazels, sepa-
rated here and there by little glades, and bor-
dering by an abrupt declivity on the road to
France and the torrent of Essera. Here an
other brush was to take place. The place, very
much confined, was Immediately surrounded by
the hunters, and the agile tyaqueurs, with the
intrepid Oustalet at their head, plunged into
the thicket. A long growing soon revealed
the presence of the bear. Pursued into his last
asylum, and again started bya fresh shot which
gave him another wound, he resumed his pain
ful march. He was then seen, now making his
appearance in the narrow glades which sepa-
rated the hazel clumps, now violently forcing a
passage for himself through the clumps inter
woven with shrubs.
Although hard pressed, the animal at bay
nevertheless hesitated to show himself openly.
He seemed to dread the open spaces by which
he was surrounded. Three times did bruin
await the approach and the fire of the traqueurs
Two fresh shots reached him without bringing
him down. However, in another instant,
forced to leave the thicket which had served
to shelter him, he was shout to become the
mark for dozen rifles pointed towards him.
Suddenly the report of q shot was heard, and
Immediately afterwards cry of distress. A
man was engaged in struggle with the bear.
The prudent distrust Of the animal had COM
PEELED the traqueus to follow him step by step.
The indefatigable Oustalet had been the most
ardent in this perilous pursuit. 1t was he who
had first started the animal; it was he who had
wounded him at this last start. He had scarcely
lost sight of him for single instant, notwith-
standing the infinite difficulties of the ground.
Unfortunately, carried away by his impetu-
Gus enthusiasm, the courageous hunter had
slightly diverged from the track, and had pro-
ceeded few steps too far, when suddenly, as
he turned thicket, he found himself in the
presence of the bear, right opposite and below
the redoubtable wounded savage. To shoulder
his piece and pierce the upper jaw of the ami.
NAL with bullet, was for Oustalet but the
work of an instant; but, as prompt as himself
and having besides the advantage opposition.
the furious brute threw himself on the man.
and threw him down with an irresistible shock.
The strsngth of the bear had, fortunately, been
weakened. His blood was escaping from many
wounds; one of his paws was broken; many of
his teeth had been knocked out but his last
moments we're still terrible
AT his first gripe he laid open and penetrated
through the hunters right hand Soon he seized.
successively, first the upperpart of his left arm.
then his thighs one after the other, and pierced
and tore them dreadfully. Such was the condi-
ton OF poor Oustalet, when, thanks to Heaven.
a happy chance came to his aid. and his nre,
sence of mind did not desert him IN this short
but frightful struggle. The hunters rnn
which the bear had seized with omen tbroa,
and on the iron Of which he had rrooved tro css
Of his bites, had partly preserved the narts be
had attacked. So, gathering up all his strengtb
Oustalet managed to kick his rough adversar -
on the belly with both his feet. The animal
exhausted, and eased down by the steepness \
the declivity, slid down by the side and below
his victim. In less than a minute after this ex
citing scene, the bear, having received the cour
de grace, rolled down dead at the feet of the
hunter, and the wounded man was conveyed tc
the banks Of the Essera.
Happily, no vital organ had been injured
and, however severe any of the wounds he hat
ad ratfxI4 L. r2r-