, 1873-12-08
A. TOUGH OLD HUNTER.
Tho Exploits of Phin Tccp1c--s1nying
Thousands OF Dccr and Hundreds of
UGnrK..f1Q Qw His X0YH Killed n Tkcnr.

Tho Exploits of Phin Tccp1c--S1nyinE
Thousands OF Deer and hundreds OF
ncnrs--11ow His Noys Killod n Hear.
a'ansaa""a DegS ss Sfs m {d1S 81 3d. 81 Correspondence
Old phin Tceple, of proston, Wayne Coun-
sy. has boen absent some woeks in tic forestB
Of Potter County hunting. Phin Is 10 years
9 a. a1d 1das snce 1aa he was II years old has killed
Ho intonda to kill enough this acnaon to mako
up 5000 deor. IIo thinks bears nro not worth
hothortng with, or lo anyss ho you'll have .
record Of twice az many Of them killed; Nosrly
shoot to savo himself. Several Of tham ho
killed in hand-to-hana fights with his knifc and
hunting-axo.
No QUO would tako old Phin to be moro than
40, although he has reached tho time allotted for
man to live.
Ho left word whom ho went away that II thore
was q war with 8pnin to send for him at onco, aB
ho wanted to try his hand ut shooting spaniarda
before ho died,
Old phin has two promising sons, Chris and
Lie. They arc respectively ~ and p years old.
They have hung up fourteen dcor this eoaaon,
Which has been poor ono.
On the Esd Of last mouth they heard Tint there
had boon large bear soon nonr Duck Harbor.
They resolved to 60. aud tackle Bruin. They
wont. Discovering his tracks along tho edge OF
tue pond. they followed him to den among tho
rocks. They commenced to smoke him out.
IIc soon appeared Mt tho mouth Of his den,
growing and showing his tooth. Lilo WAS going
to shoot him, but Chris said no; give the bear d
chance. They smoked tho nui1nnl until ho be-
came cnragea and rushed out At tho hunters.
Druin camo at them on his hind legs, Ills paws
ready to embrace bis foe, and bis red jaws dis
tended. Lilo drow his hatchct and advanced
to meet the bear. When near enough lle dealt
It fearful blow on the head, which dropped It
to tho ground. The two brothers then pitched
IN together and without firing shot Boon de-
spatchod tho hugo animal, with tho loss Of soms
clothing and tho receipt Of u few ugly scratches.
They tllon dressed it and dragged it homo. It
weighed 2Gs pounds, and furniellcd o Thanks
giving dinnor for tho whole ncighborhood.
Old plin telB Of an adventure, among many
Others he Ind once in tho woods OF Wayne
County, before many men had ket foot therein.
With party OF two others. ono Of whom was
went out after deer. It WAS i'll tho paupack
region. Old phin stood on a run away nbout R
mile above where Hawley now is. All at once
an immense buck spratg into tbs creek. 1'liu
put bull behind his foreslouldor, and tho deer
went down. It was up agnin in an instant, and
turned to come back. Phin met it Oil tho bank,
and l1and-to-lland fight at onco commenced.
Tho huntor saw that tho deor Was too much for
pursued Plin. took to a tree. Tho door walkod
around the trco q few times, aud tl,on lay quiet
y down.. rhin had no gun, and, as 1t was very
cold, md drawing ncar night, his position was
not onyiable. Ho did not caro- to get out Of tho
treo and fight the deer, rs he know from expo
rionco that o wounded buck il tho worst thing
In tho world to "tacklo." Every moyo ho mado
up jumped tho deer and looked at him, as much
as to say, ''Como on" phin halloed for his
companions, but could not got a reply, About
midnight, whom l,o WAS nearly dead with cold
llo heard q shout. He answered, and soon bis
companions came to his rescue. The deer
jumped up, but made no move. The dogs cnmo
up, and It brayed their attack. Paul Preston
put m end to tho bollicoso buck bva ball from
hiB never-erring rifle, and the trecd hunter was
rescued. That was forty years ago and more,
md yet old phin will laugh for III hour over tho
recollection OF Lis ridiculous, yet very unplens"
mt, AlYQntlrp.