Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-09-15
NO. 2lS.
Miseellaneous.
FIGHTING A BEAR.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF A FATHER AND
son IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.

The Emory, British Columbia, Seminal,
tells the following:
Alexander Embree and his son Walter
are living together on the old mans farm,
about four miles and half from the
Wentworth station. 4 fortnight ago,
while father and son were standing in the
| field. Mr.. Embree noticed the sheep run
ming, and, on looking toward the foot of
the mountains, he saw an enormous bear
slowly creeping towards his horses, which
were feeding on the hill side. He imme-
diately sent his son for a gun and an axe.
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. Mr.. Embree
was now about sixty yards from the bear,
which. on perceiving that he was observed,
sat up, and. rs soon as MIR. Embree fired,
sprang forward. rolled over, and then ran
away. The dogs 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. as it was
almost impossible to get through the
windialls and growth in some places.
They had, however, only gone about a
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.. Embrec fired at what he supposed to
he the back of his shoulder. but il proved
TO be the brute enormous head andh he only
struck him on the lower jaw. breaking of u
IN ri nf fba lou aud 1nwar fpsE aud n
part of the tusk on the other side, and
that no doubt saved their lives Mr.. En-
bree instantly loaded again. but when the
monster sprang upon him the cap did not
explode. He then used the gun over the
brute's head the second blow leaving only
the barrel in his hand, and that appeared
to produce no more effect than riding
whip in the hands of n child. At this
point in the conflict the bear dashed hard
upon his foe, when log from behind Mr..
Empree tripped him, and he fell back
wards with the monster upon him. The
bear was about taking Mr.. Embrec's head
or face in his mouth. when the latter
thrust his right hand in the bears mouth
and caught the root of his tongue, but un-
fortunately his arm coming out across the
animals mouth, the monster shut il upon
llt aIuf, anu Dotn UbHtS tuc
mans own words, las easily as you
would break pipe-stem.n The son now
came to his rescue by dealing the brute
tremendous blow on the back OF the head
with the edge of the axe, but so thick was
the monsters skin and iur that it only
made small cut.
Leaving the falherwith his mangled and
helpless arm, the beast turned upon the
son. He first struck the axe, knOckingi it
about thirty feet out of the young mans
hand, and then seized 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 d.
verted the bear from his son. Twice this
dreadful game was played turn about by
father and son, each in his turn attacking
the brute to save the others lite. While
they were under the bear he held them
down with his front feet, and turned to
tear them, but it was too long, and only
tore the earth under them. The final
struggle was fearful. The bear had the
young man underneath him, and in an at
tempt to crush his head between his enor-
nous jaws, for 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 eyebrows in
his front teeth shook The young man vio-
lently At this moment the old man
caught sight of the axe, and taking it in
his left hand began to strike at the bears
head. the axe often coming close TO his
sons face in the deadly struggle. and af-
ter having given the brute ten blows with
the axe from his one hand the bear re-
leased his hold from the sons face, and
fell from blow between his eye and ear.
dead upon the bleeding body of the young
man, who during the last str .gglc held a
firm grip OF the bears tongue. And now
the father with one finger bitten off and
his right arm crushed, had to help his
wounded son home, the latter having both
knees ieariully mangled and his face Bit
ten and torn.
The writer visited the sufferers on Sab
bath evening, and found them doing very
well indeed, though they will not be able
TO work this year on their farm. The fa--
ther 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
fifty pounds and his foot was five inches
across the heel and eight inches long.
Never did father AMI son show more pluck
in defending each other from fearful
death. The first shot the ball passed
through the bears liver, lungs and with
in two inches Of his heart, carrying away
part of the shoulder-blslde on its way.
The Indians say the bear must have been
about twelve years old.