The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1880-10-02

At that very moment the light
bla2ed up in the bow of the boat. and |
saw the bear distinctly. Taking a
hurried aim, fred. Bruin answered
the shot with a fierce growl, and turning
directly about, came toward the boat
: / fastened to load my fowling piece.
and | tell YOU | never put more elbow
grease into anything than | did into that
charge, but before [ had the weapon
loaded the bear had seized hold of the
stern and was clambering in.
1.-The rickety old craft shook and
rocked like a leaf. | thought it would
surely capsize, but it just escapedit every
time the animal plunged forward. | had
only the percussion cap to affix to the
nipple, but by the time L had finished
the operation hruin was entirely in the
boat, which commenced to sink.
Il sprang out at once, leaving the
bear III full possession.
To a disinterested spectator the
scene would now have appeared ludi-
crous. Indeed. as [ look back and see
how it all looked | cannot help smiling.
Bruin was seated upon his launches. and
the swans we had secured after so much
labor were disappearing in his greedy
nav about as fast as anything could.
Johnson contemplating it with look of
intense disgust
1.-The burned brute shan't have all of
those fowl if | can help 1t, he said, mad
rs a halter, and he swan to the bow of.
the dug-out and, with some difficulty,
seized knot that was burning.
calling back, he then lifted himself
by one hand over the gunwale and with
the other he applied the torch to bruins
shaggy hide There was Il smell of burn
ing hair, followed by fierce growl and
then the bear plunged into the water
+" He seemed to have had enough of
the battle, for he did not attack us again,
but swan toward the shore not far dis
tant. We were not long in laundering
into the boat, when we speedily extin-
guished the fire that was beginning to
spread an the bottom, and repaired things
generally. Bruin, In his hasty exit, had
left two Of the trumpeters untouched,
one for each of us.
johnson at once proceeded to clean
ing aud drying his double-barrcl.
81 am going to have that bear, he
quietly rcmnrkcd, 'sce If ] don't! The
fight amt over yet.
" Before he had loaded, however the
sounds of fierce strife came from the
shore. Growls, roars and screams sue
cecdcd each other, and the cracking of
underbrush showed that two large AM
mails were engaged in deadly fight.
"'That's a painters scream, | know,
said Johnson. All the beasts in the
forest are ont artcr swans, | guess.
We'll, they can lave them for all of me.
We padded up slowly to shore, but
the screaming and the tearing still con-
tinued, and we dare not land, not know
ing what enemies might attack us.
The ytlls were terrible, and the
heavy crushing and tearing among the
bushes told of fierce struggle. All at
once the yclls ceased We heard loud
groan and then all was still.
"'Onc of thcm's beat or else they're
both played ont, but | am sure ! don't
care enough about it to 90 and see, Just
vet; and my companion seized the paddle
and pushed out into the lake
And there we remained the rest of the
night, sleeping in the bottom Of the boat
When it was morning we padded care
fully to shore. Leaving me with the
paddles johnson got cut and made Il
wary examinations | heard him crash
ing through the bushes, and presently
he called out:
They're both stone dead. But
there's been something of a scrimmagc.
| tell YOU It's the largest painter |
ever saw; aud the bear amt a small one.
| guess we've got paid for the swans this
old carcas devOurcd.
We skinned them on the spot, and
taking a portion Of bruins shoulder for
breakfast, we went ON board the dugout
aud reached camp before any of our
friends were out.
When we related out adventures no
one laughed at us, | assure you, but it
was the last swan hunting that any of us
did that season.
"Johnson and ! divided our prizes
equally between ourselves, and in my
parlor are Il stuffed trumpeter and a
pauther's skin, which never look At but
TO be reminded Of our perllous adventure
on the Agamicus, in a dugout.