Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-11
A BRITISH COLUMBIA BEAR STORY.
Emory British Columbia) sentinel.i

Emory British Columbia) Sentinel
Alexander Enbree and his son Walter
are living together on the old gentleman's
farm, about four and half miles from the
Wentworth station on the New AMMAN
road. A fortnigh1 ago, while fathar and
son were standing IN the field, Mr.. Enbree
noticed the sheep running and, on looking
toward the foot of the mountain, he saw
an enormous bear crouching and slowly
creeping toward his horses, which were
feeding on the hillside. He Immediately
sent his son for gun and an ak. By the
time the latter returned, the bear was
within twenty feet of one of the horses,
and evidently about to spring upon the
unsuspecting animal. MIR. Embree was
about sixty yards from the bear, which,
on perceiying that he was observed, sat
up, and as soon as Mr.. Embree fired,
sprang forward, rolled over, and then ran
away. The dog followed him, the father
and son keeping on the trail by the bloody
track left, and the sound of the dog, up
the steep and difficult mountain side, 1t
being almost impossible to get through the
wind falls and growth in some places.
They had, however, only gone about q
mile or more when they heard the dog re-
turning with the bear on his own track.
On standing still for few moments, the
bear came within forty feet apparently
raging mad. For moment the dog
checked him, and Mr.. Embree fired at
what he supposed to be the back of ms
shoulder, but it proved to be the brute's
enormous head, and he only struck him on
the lower jaw, breaking off part OF the
Jaw and one lower tusk and part of the
tusk on the other side, and that no doubt
saved their lives. Mr.. Embree instantly
loaded again, but when the monster
sprang upon him the cap failed to explode.
He used the gun over the brute's head, the
second blow leaving only the barrel III his
hand, and that appeared to produce no
more effect than riding whip IN the hands
OF child At this point in the conflict
the bear pushed hard upon his foe, when
log behind Mr.. Embree tripped him, and
he fell backward with the monster upon
him. The bear was about taking Mr.. En-
brees head or face in his mouth, when the
latter thrust his right hand into the bears
mouth and caught his tongue, but unfortu-'
nately his arm coming out across the AMI
malls mouth, the monster shut it upon the
arm, and crushed both bones, in the mans
own words, as easily as you would break
pipe-stem.
The son now came to the rescue by
dealing the brute a tremendous blow on
the back Of the head with the edge OF the
ak, but SO thick was the monsters skin
and fur that it only made a small cut.
Leaving the father with his mangled and
helpless arm, the beast turned upon the
son. He first struck the ak, knocking it
about thirty feet out of the young mans
hand, and then Selling him by one knee
''shook him, says the father, as bull
terrier would rat, throwing him, with
one shake, nearly ten feet. Without
even knife, the father sprang upon the
back of the bear, and thus diverted the
bear from his son. Twice this dreadful
game was played turn about by the father
and son, each in his turn attacking the
brute to save the others life. While they
were under the bear he held them down
with his front feet and tried to tear them
with his hind heel, bat it was too long
and only tore the earth under Them The
final struggle wag fearful. The bear had
the Young man beneath him, and IN an at
tempt to crush his head between his enor-
nous laws, for the want OF the lower
tusks he was only able to tear the flesh
from his forehead down over his eyes, and,
holding the skin of his forehead and eye
brow in his front teeth, shook the young
man violently. At this moment the old
man caught sight of the AK, and, taking 1t IN
his left hand. began to strike at the bears
head, the AK often coming close to his
sons face in the deadly struggle, and after
having given the brute ten bows with the
ak from his one hand, the bear released his
hold from the sons face and fell from q
blow between his eye and ear, dead, upon
the bleeding body of the young man, who,
during the last struggle, held firm grip
on the bears tongue.
The father, with one finger bitten off
and his right arm crushed, had to help his
wounded son home, the latter having both
knees fearfully mangled and his face bitten
and torn. The writer visited the sufferers
on Sabbath evening, and found them under
the iudicious treatment Of DIR, Mcdonald,
doing very well indeed. though they Will
not be able to work this spring on their
farm. The father is an old bear-hunter,
but he never saw so large bear before.
From his hind feet to the top OF his head
was eight feet, so that when he stood up
he was quite out OF their reach His skin.
weighed 50 pounds, and his foot was five
inches across the heel and eight inches
long. Never did father and son show more
pluck in defending each other from fear
full death. At the first shot the ball passed
through the bears liver, lungs, and within
two inches of his heart, carrying away
part Of the shoulder blade on its way.
The Indians say the bear must have been
about u years old.
rom cArrqusrrIo1r