The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1859-02-12


spruce fir, over which was lodged a heavy
canopy OF snow, his head resting on his
paws and his eyes closed Milten appear
ed to be greatly puzzled, and hesitated
some time. At last the rife was slowly
and steadily raised, steadying it by the
elbow on his left knee. He fred. the ball
glanced, missed the head, and lodged in
the flank. In an instant he sprang up
from his lair, and stretching himself on
his hind legs, he looked wildly and eagerly
around. uncertain from what quarter the
shot came.
The sportsman remained motionless as
the stump OF tree it was but an instant
before the bear detected him, and making
a dash forward, was within ten PAGES,
when the second shot rapidly followed
The bali struck the chest, and the bear
rolled over, complete summersault. He
was up. however, in an instant. The gun
was rapidly thrown from the hand, and
the spear seized. With the right knees
on the ground, the butt of the spear
against the foot of q small tree. and the
i Po-ait presented to the bear. Milten crouch-
ed under it. awaiting the result, caTTfnvro-
/ me not to fire. | had. however, thrown
| myself fiat, and was half buried in the
| snow. The bear precipitated himself on
to the top OF the spear which entered his
chest about three inches. Grasping the
shaft with his iore-paws. he neld it tight
and shook it most violently, and every
moment / expected to see it wrenched
from the hand or snap off, for Milten
could scarcely hold it firm. The smallest
sway to the right or left, and he would
inevitably have been lost, by losing his
| power over the spear. Most fortunately,
the end Of the shaft had caught against
the root Of the tree.
The bear at last maddened with agony,
and wild rage made a lunge forward with
his full power and strength-the spear
rose from the incline nearly perpendicu-
/ lar at the same time his paws slipped
down the shaft. His weight thus suspend
ed. sent the blade Of the spear home TO
/ the crossbar. The bear poised for few
seconds IN the air AT this moment | saw
| his head fall on his chest the foot of the
! spear slipped at the same instant, and
| down he came with his full weight on the
/ hunter, who lay buried beneath. ! ran
| up and tried TO liberate him, but the end
OF the shaft had caught under curve of
| the root, and the opposite end being kept
down 10y the weight Of the bear, acted
ike lever across Milten's chest, so that
, 1t fixed, that could not extricate it. In
tins dilemma, | ran back shouting to
Demetre to come up, which he did
most timidly. Clutching the axe | rush
ed back Immediately; two or three blows
severed the root, the butt sprang up. and
my friend was liberated, the bear rolling
over on his side.
Milten was covered with blood and
snow, and completely exhausted, and, as
reaction came on, trembled from head to
foot. Matya' bottle did essential service
and soon restored the combatant.-
Touch and CO. said he, as he scraped
the blood and snow off his coat with his
hunting-knife The bears paw had struck
Mllten's right shoulder in, it was suppos-
ed his death struggle, completely strip
ping of the coat and underclothing. and
leaving the skin bare, but, fortunately,
had not lacerated the parts. The bear
was one OF the very largest description of
the black variety, and the claws were sew
en- inches long, and as sharp as needles
\ pull Of the bottle all around, and Ke-
rela was dispatched to the village for a
Slcdge those that remained tugced and
hauled the huge monster to the border
of the fOrest-a task of no small difficult
". kerela soon arrived with the sledge.
fitting ii on one side. we rolled the bear
in, and entered the village in triumph
Every man. woman and child greeted our
return. and white-headed sages declared
i was the largest bear they had ever seen,
and no doubt it was the same that had
killed the COW last summer, and dragged
- her two VCrStS into the woods A"