Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-05-22
A Fight With n Bear,

We make the following extract from
a hunting story entitled " The big Bear
Of Wannctola.' printed in s. Nicholas
The incident took place in the back
puntry Of Arkansas. in the year lsGO.
sndthe hunters were Harvey Richard
.orand the narrator. Dr. j. J.. Maggie.
they were after big bear. whose dep
adntions had made him the chief topic
Of conversation; and they started out
with their dogs early one November
morning:
Just nj daybreak, we came 10 cross
ing Of the bayou where we felt sure the
bear must pass on the way In his den
Harvey placed me. the dogs and himself
A fallen tree was in my front. and
through It's interlaccd roots I could see
in every direction. Hardly had We
completed vri an fush when n quick
movement of one "a the dogs startled
me. But, in y moment, noticing that
his looks were directed toward the cross
ng. /, too. looked thither and heard the
sound of n heavy animal saunteTing
slowly over the sodden ground and APP
preaching my lair. In an instant pair
Of yellow eyes glared nj me. and with ns
wide look of surprise as there was in
mine Recovering myself fired Mt the
monster, which appeared like n huge.
animated black cloud as he rose up be-
fore me. The brute disappeared with
the smoke of my gun, but in q moment |
was startled by the report and shock of n
second discharge. The other load of nv
gun had been accidentally exploded.
Looking in the direction the bear had
taken. | saw he had run along the other
side of the fallen tree and met nj the
further end the two dogs. when he
turned about and came toward me at his
most rapid speed and in savage humor.
Then there was n fearful crash and rush.
The black mass came on, with ewes
cleaning. and bewildering me with the
reflection Of their glare in the sunlight.
was conscious that my gun was use
less, and so instinctively graspcd my pis-
tol. but found IL hopelcssly entangfed in
my belt. For second. despair came
upon me. but sudden revulsion aroused
every sense and prompted me 10 defence
for life. Quickly drawing my knife. IL
was presented Mt thrust as the dark
mass sprang Mt me.
At this moment, one Of the huge dogs
leapcd Mt him so fierccly M 90 divert the
monsters attention from myself and
make him miss his bite. lie reared. and
as he again came down on his fore feet
and was in The act Of going over the
bank. | plunged my knife 20 the hilt into
his body. IN the region of his heart. lie
turned and made terrible snap at my
legs. hut ut that moment fell backward
over bush. and so we all went into
the bayou together, floundcring In the
water and mud.
scrambled to the edge Of the slough.
and watched with intense anxiety the
result Of the battle. In another moment.
and when the bear had nearly reached
the further side of the pool, desperately
fighting with the dogs every inch of the
way. heard rushing sound and the
whirring flight of more of the pack as
they sprang over me. In the same in
stant n flash shot out from the brown
barrel of lIarvey's rifle. and the bear
rolled over, though he still fccbly fought
the pack, and kept ON fighting to the
Itst moment of his existence. To my
modification. nm examination of the
uge carcass showed that'my shot had
not made any visible mark ON the ami
NAL, and that my knife had not quite
reached his heart. Hnrvey's shot
had killed him. The weight of the
savage animal was over five hundred
pounds.