Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-07-04
Saved by a Bear,

GOL DCfCloA AhOAhAA6oJ JuS1 oibOA Nug-
break, two hunters, who had located
their cabin on the banks of Stewards
Greek, in the heart of the Kentucky
wilderness, were aroused by the shrill
scream of panther, seemingly close
by. 1t was at length determined to
hunt the animal, though one of the men
declared his belief that it was an Indian
ruse, by which they were to be drawn
into an ambush. However, the fourth
morning they quietly arose, seized their
rifles, and taking separate paths, so as
to approach from different directions,
started to " stalk the catamount.
Unfortunately it proved to be as the
hunter had feared. It was an ambush,
laid by four warriors, and the pioneer
who first arrived in reach of the con-
cealed rifles, fell with bullet through
his heart. The other was, for the mo-
ment, more fortunate. Hearing the
sound of firing, and realizing what the
odds against him were, he turned and
dashed away through the underground,
taking course directly away from the
cabin, in hopes of saving it from de-
struction. But two of the Indians,
however, followed him, while the other
two, after securing the scalp of the un-
fortunate hunter who had fallen, made
at once for tho cabin, to which, after
plundering it of all that was valuable,
they applied the torch and it was soon
consumed. In the meanwhile Hum
phries-such was the hunters name
succeeded for two or three miles in
maintaining his lead, and would proba-
bly, have shaken them off entirely but
for an untoward accident. In attempt
ing to leap across a small stream, the
banks of which were steep and high, he
missed his footing, and only by
powerful effort prevented himself from
being hurled to the bottom.
AS it was, he found that he had
strained his knee to such an extent as
to render it almost matter impossible
to further continue his fight. But life
is great stake to struggle for, and al
though suffering the greatest agony,
yet Humphries continued to keep
slightly ahead Of his pursuers. At
length, after descending quite hill, he
entered upon level bottom, at the
other side of which ran a stream, the
banks of which were thickly lined by
heavy cane- brake. Toward this he ran
with what little strength there was left
in him, and reached the edge of the
brake only to find that it was SO dense
that he could not, at any point near by,
find place of entrance, Turning off
to his right, he found where a large
poplar tree had been blown down, fall
ing directly into the cane, and reaching
entirely across the bed of the creek.
Upon this he leaped, ran along the body
of the trunk, and then seeing a chance
for moments hiding, he leaped down
into the water beneath and drew up
under the bank where the bushes were
heaviest. Hardly had he succeeded in
this when he heard the Indian spring
upon the log, rnn rapidly forward d few
PAGES, and then utter shrill whoop of
surprise or exultation. The keen-eyed
redskln had seen him as he crouched
amid the flags and young cane. Another
instant and his enemy would have been
upon him, tomahawk in hand, when
suddenly new actor appeared upon
the scene. A deep, angry roar, rather
than growl, broke upon the silence, and
with open mouth and eyes flashing with
rage, an old she bear, closely followed
by her two cubs, dashed across the log
and fastened herself upon the now
frightened Indian. The fight upon the
log was of short duration, and after a
few force struggles the two combatants
pitched over and fell, locked in dead
ly embrace, into the water below. What
had become of the otner Indian, Hum
phries knew not, but finding that he
did not app pear, he crawled out upon
the opposite bank, and leaving the red
skin and his shaggy opponent engaged
in struggle for life Ca death, he made
all possible haste to reach the block
house, some three miles distant. This
he succeeded in doing, and the next
morning returned to the scene of action
at the creek. Neither bear nor Indian
was to be seen, though the torn and
bloody condition of the bushes on the
bank told how fearful the combat must
have been. Humphries was, on the
whole, we'll satisfied, and for many
years boasted that he was probably the
only man in the wilderness whose life
had been saved by bear.