The Worthington advance., 1878-10-10

neld. AT nrst they merely eyed each
other suspiciously. Then jealousy seemed
to seize them, and, after some menacipg
stamps Of their hoofs, they squared off"
as Max said.
First they drew apart, backing diliber-
ately away from each other Tor hundred
feet or more. Then they charged at full
gallop, like old-time knights. When
wit in ten feet Of each other, both paused
and again drew back. It seemed as if
each though the hadn't secured momen.
tum enough to give full effect to the coli
sion.
Again they drew back to almost duoble
their first distance apart. Then they
There was no pause then.
Their heads smotc together with q sound
ing crack. The result was disastrous to
CLAIMS antagonist, for his neck was bro
ken, and lie fell sidew1sc aud died.
As for CLAM, he shook his head slight
ly, then paved his dead rival, and turned
to the spectators, as much as to say,
"Fetch on another"
The two Frenchmen were much excited
and wanted to kill CLAM. For my part,
think it would have been more than
justice if they had been made by legal
enactment to butt their own heads togcth-
er.
There is kind of wildcat, or lynx,
found in the region Of CLAIMS exploits,
that sometimes throttles shcrp. 1t is
cowardly creature, but when at bay, or
when surprised while eating it's prey, will
fight savagely, and is then by no '.aeans
an antagonist to be coveted by either man
or beast. Sometimes the old males reach
the size of large dog, and have long re.
tractile claws and big round heads
One morning in the spring, shortly
after the sheep had been turned into the
pasture, Maxine, on going there to give
them salt, found both Clam and one of
his largest lambs were not with the flock.
The other sheep seemed to have been re-
Gently frighted.
After brief search Maxine found the
lamb in some bushes, dead. Its throat
was torn and punches of wool were pull
ed out and scattered around. But where
was CLAM?
Maxine called and called, but it was
not till he had searched almost every
section Of the pasture that he last saw his
lordship. He was standing under vel
low birch-tree. CLAM must have attack
ed the marauder and driven it from the
lamb, and had butted it so hotly that the
lynx had been forced to climb the birch
tor safety.
Maxine ran to the house of neigh
Dor, borrowed gun and then shot the
lynx.
But CLAIMS great feat-one which it
seems to me should make him forever
famous in the history of sheep-wns not
performed till the autumn OF the next
year.
The black bear is also common in the
rcigon where Maxine lives. Farmers
owning sheep often suffer from its attacks,
which are usually made in, the night.
Sometimes an entire flock of twelve or
fifteen sheep has been killed in MIG hit,
by single bear.
That autumn, several of Maxin,e's
neighoors, On that side of the river, re-
peatedly lot sheep. Rightly or wrongly,
they attributed their losses to one particu-
lar bear, which had been seen at several
different times.
To secure the safety of his flock,
Maxine, who was a prudent lad, drove
his sheep home every night, and shut
them in their cote. But one afternoon,
toward tie last Of September, the boy
had his buckwheat to get in, for it threat
ened rain.
B1fore his last load of wheat reached
the barn, it was twilight. Taking. his
salt dish, he hurried up the hillside to the
pasture. Just us he reached the log fence,
he saw the sheep running along the upper
side of the lot, with large black animal
chasing them.
Dark as it already was, Maxine knew
the animal to bu the "sacre oors noir.
Bent on saving bis sheep, he leapcd the
fence, and ran toward the frightened ami
mails. But he had 3 bushy hollow to
cross. When he had reached tue other
side, the bear was no longer chasing the
sheep. Clam was facing him, and back
ing, as if he had JUS! given his bcarship a
butt, and was preparing another.
Maxine heard the bear growing saw
agely, and feeling somewhat afraid, as he
had no weapon nut club, he concluded
to remain a spectator. Clam backed off
thirty or forty yards, then, lowering his
horns, plunged at the bear. Seeing the
ram ming, the animal rose on its hind
legs, and stretched out its paws to seize
him.
CLAIMS hard head, coming like shot,
hit the bear full in the stomach. in the
very roundest portion of it, and instead ct
closp:ng the buck, be went heels over
head backward! Maxine said it sound
ed like striking on a big pumpkin.
With fierce growl, the astounded bear
scrambled up. But at the same time
Clam had backed eff again. Maxine
could plainly hear their heavy breathing,
Scarcely had the bear regained lis fett
when the ram again charged him with
tremendous force. Again the bear rose,
and again was knocked fairly heels over
head before he could seize his hard head
ed antagonist.
This maneuver was repeated eight or
nine times. AT each charge Of the buck,
the bear would rise, bear- fashion, to
grapple CLAM, and every time Was
promptly sent sprawling upon the
ground.
After the ei ghth or nineth ''round,''
the bear failed to rist, Clam butted at
him several times more, however, but he
he did not respond.
Maxine then went cautiously up to
the prostrate animal, who lay limp, and
with his tongue hanging out. So com
pletely used up was he that the lad had
no difficulty in making an end Of the
dangerous brute with his club.
And now, if any reader Of the Com
Danaon has better true story of either
buck or bear, I should like to hear it.
Attempt to Hoax George Combe.