The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-07
A TERRIBLE, FIGHT WITH A BEAR.
nruIn and tho Man Fali Three uRadred Feet
Down - Msnntaln slide.


Down MsantaIn side.
\ correspondent Of the New York
World writes To- that paper from Goshen,
y. Y, rs follows The bear hunters have
cnjoNed fine sport in Ulster county for
the past two weeks. Even IN thu wilder
uoss If Denning township Il has been
many years since bears were so uumcr-
ous. Jack Ackcrt and three compan-
ions Of the BULL Run region startled a
large bear from its nest a few days ago
aud followed Il several miles. Jack came
mp with Il where the dogs had brought
il 60 hay ON ledge overlooking n laurel
swamp. The ledge was "a pcrpendicular
one, ten feet high, on the summit oi IA
barren ridge that extended in an abrupt
slope to the edge OF the swamp, "a d,S.
bsncc nf over three hundred feet The
ground was covered with several inches
of snow, upon which shd crust aS
smooth rs icc hal formed. Ackert shot
I the bear as Il was fighting with the dogs.
Ii fell, 81 all appearances dead. The
other hauters were scattered about IN tho
woods. Aokert approached near the
PROSTATE animal aud shouted for his
comrades to come IN. The bear. how
ever, WAS not dead and. 10 the hunter $
surprise. arose 10 lts feet and rushed to
ward him IN spite uf the dogs. Ack0rt
iired his other barrel, but did not klll
the bear, and IN another second WAS de
Tending himself IN hand-to-hnnd fight
with the rnragcd brute. The crust WAS
50 slippery that the bear had the advan,
tage Of the hunter as the latter could
not keep his feet, while the sharp claws
of the former permitted him Ia maintain
his position. Ackert slipped and fell
The bear had hun in his embrace III "A
moment. The movements Of the com
batants had brought them nearer the
edge Of the rocks. As the bear threw
his paws about the half-prcstrate form oi
the hunter the latter dealt Il a fearful
blow with his huuting.aIe which telled
the animal The ground was sloping,
anu as the smooth fur Of the bear came
in cuatact with the CLASSY surface Of the
snow the animal maintaining It's hold ~
Ackert, slid toward the eigeut the le,ige
and before il could get a hold IN the
crust with it's claws both hunter and bear
fell over the rocks. and, striking the icy
slope below, shot like cannon ball down
the mountain. Two of Ackert' compan'
ions came out upon the rocks Just As he
and the bear went crashing into the
tangled laurels at the foot ot the ridge
aud disappeared in the swamp. The
hunters were compelled TO make "a drtuur
Of half mile 10 reach the swamp. They
found Ackert sitting with his back
against hemlock tree. He WAS covered
with blood and his clothing hung IN tat
tiers. He WAS alive, but Il Was half au
hour before be WAS able tn realize where
he was and how he got there. He re-
memberei falling of the rocks, starting
down the mountain huggei by the bear
and crashing into the swamp, and that
was all. The bear lay ten or fifteen feet
away, covered with blood and dead.
Both II Avkert's shots had reached vital
spots, but there is no doubt that bnt for
the fortunate ride down the mountain
the bear would have crushed the hunter
before the wounds proved fatal The
bear weighed over two hundred pounds.
Since the above adventure King Shee-
lev, Of South Mountain, with two of
his brothers, put mp a bear on Moose
Mountain, ia DeunIng. King wounded
it, but WAS attacked by the bear. The
three brothers killei il with their hunt
ing-axes, King being badly wounded 10y
it during the fight. The bear was an
enormous one. As the hunters were
dragging il to an old wood road near by
they heard the dogs making a cOmmotiou
in the woods. One of the brothers went
10 the SPOT, and found two bear cnbs in q
nest in the rocks. They we're taken out.
The cubs began 10 whine and cry piteous-
ly, and in a few minutes their mother
came tearing through the woods and
sprang out into the opening where the
hunters were amusing themselves with
the cubs. They dropped the cubs and
sprang for their guns. The old bear
threw herself IN front OF the cubs, aud
rising ou her launches backed toward
the woods, keeping the Cubs hehind her,
roaring furiously As she kept her ewes on
the hunters. Two ride balls entered her
heart, however, before she gained the
thicket, Mnd she fell dead on the snow.
The hunters allowed the dogs TO tear the
cubs 10 pieces.