The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-10-05
A Hunters Yarn.

One day, long time ago, about the
time when jackson ran for President
the first time, perhaps, l was one day
hunting upon the ridge between Mead
ow Run, and Cucumber Run, which
tumbles off the rocks Just across there.
had known for some time by the
signs that there was nest of cub bears
somewhere in the neighborhood, so on
that day | concluded that | would put
in my time finding them, as a party up
in Uniontown wanted pair to send
over to Baltimore to a friend who was
fond of outlandish pets.
You see that it was along about the
first of September, and pretty warm at
that, and after walking up and down
the ravines | began to get pretty tired
l was not so heavy then as | am now,
and did not weigh more than a couple
of hundred pounds. As | said, | was
little tired, and 50 on the top of the
ridge | sat down by the side of a smooth
chestnut stump about twelve or fourteen
feet high. hadn't sat there more than
minute until / heard something in
side the stump, and soon made out that
it was a couple of cub bears PLAYING
with one another.
| looked on all sides of the stump to
find an opening, but none was to be
seen. Then | happened to notice the
marks of claws up the side of the stump,
and | understood it. The hole went in
at the top. | set my gun against a bush,
appended the branch of tree, and was
soon at the top of the stump, looking in
at the two cubs, which were about the
size of full-growu rat-dogs.
was so excited that jumped down
into the stump and grabbed the cubs
They at first began to squeal, and then
turned on me for fight. But they We're
small enough to handle, and in a min
ute or two | had their mouths tied 80
they could not bite, and their feet fast
ened so they could not scratch
| knew that the old bear would be
along pretty soon and make it hot for
me if she found me in the nest, so |
swung the youngsters into my buckskin
belt preparatory to getting out.
Get out? Did | get out? Land of
love! it makes me SILVER to think of it
yet. | could no more get out of that
stump than l could fly. The hollow
was bell-shaped, larger at the bottom
than at the top-so large, in fact, that l
could not put my back against one side
and my feet and hands against the
other and crawl up, as rabbits and other
animals. climb up inside of hollow
trees.
In no way could l get up foot.
There were no sticks inside to help me
up, and l made up my mind | had to
die certain. About the time | came to
this conclusion l heard the old bear
climbing up the outside of the stump.
With only my hunting knife as means
of defense, and in such close quarters
you may possibly imagine the state of
my feelings.
The old bear was not more than half
a minute, at the outside, climbing up
the stump, but it seemed like month,
at least. | thought of all my sins a
dozen times, at least. At last she
reached the top, but she didn't seem to
suspect my presence at all, as she de-
liberately turned round and began slow
ly descending, tail foremost.
felt as though my last hour had
come, and began seriously to think
about lying down and let the bear kill
me, so as to get out of my misery as
quickly as possible. Suddenly an idea
struck me, and despair gave way to
hope. drew out my hunting knife and
stood on tip toe. When the bear was
about seven feet from the bottom of the
hollow, fastened on her tail with my
left hand with a vise-like grip, and
with my right drove my hunting knife
to the hilt into her haunch, and at the
same time yelling like whole tribe of
Indians. III u
"What did she do?' chorused the
whole crowd, who had been holding
their breath.
What did she do? Well, you should
have seen the performance. She didn't
stop to reflect moment, but shot out
at the top of the stump like bullet
out of gun. A hairs breadth to the
minute. l held on until we struck the
ground, some thirty feet from the stump.
Then the old bear went like lightning
into the brush, and was out of sight in
half second. | was little bruised by
the fall, but that was all. | took the
cubs to Uniontown the next day, and
on account of the adventure | got So
apiece for them, and in those times s.
was as good as $50 ow.-PittSburg
Telegraph.