The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-07-23

/ was continually bafied. With a tremendous
sweep of the paw, he struck Sanchez full in
the chest, hurting him to the ground so VIC
/ lently that for a few minutes he Law insensi-
bic. The brute evidently looked upon the
motionless form as that of a lifeless man
and began licking his own wounds
In a short time Sanchez recovered and
instantly appreciating his position, he eau
tiously turned his head, and saw his enor-
| nous enemy attending to his own hurts
1t would naturally be supposed that the
hunter had received enough of the contest.
and would have much preferred to be 'Get
alone" but Sanchez was a Western hunter,
and such men, when they enter into a con-
test of this kind, are pretty apt to see it
through. without weighing the probable con-
sequences.
Sprineing to his feet with his knife firmly
erased in hand he prepared to end the strug-
gle. He discovered at the same time that one
of the blows with the slung-shot had broken
the lower jaw of the animal This, as Il
proved, was the most serious wound the
brute had received
Although Sanchez was now fully aroused,
yet he was not blind to his own peril, nor the
necessity of using the utmost caution and
seizing every advantage in his power.
The principals had swerved off to one side
/ of the ravine, where a number of trees of
goodly size grew, and Sanchez Immediately
perceived how well these could be turned to
account. He retreated in a guarded man
ner until his foe was in the right position,
when, with astonishing quickness, he gave
him several thrusts with his knife, and, be
fore he could be grasped, leaped back behind
the trees.
As a matter of course, Bruin followed,
vainly trying to close upon the agile Mexi-
can, who the instant the opportunity offered
repeated the blows with the knife.
So long as the grizzly kept up his steady,
numbering method of working, so long it
went against him, as the active hunter had no
difficulty in keeping out of his reach but,
unfortunately for our friend he was taken
unawares a second time by a sud len spring
of the great fellow, and was stricken to the
ground more violently than before.
This blow caused him to faint entirely
away, the bear again accepting his prOstra-
tion of weakness as that of death itself.
How long Sanchez remained unconscious
can only be conjectured, as he had no means
senses he found that the battle was ended,
and he was the victor.
y short distance away the immense griz-
zly bear was stretched out mOtionless and
dead
Alfredo, the boy, when released from the
grasp of the bear, was badly wounded, and
believing that he could be of no assistance,
he instantly left and hurried to the eastward
toward the fort, which was several miles
nearer than his own home.
He was so weak and exhausted that he did
not reach it till the next morning. As soon
as his story was related a party OF men
mounted their horses and started in search
of Sanchez, who was well known to them.
He was found near the scene of his recent
exploit, dreadfully wounded, with his cloth Is
in ribbons.
They carried him back to the fort. He
was tenderly cared for, but it was many
weeks before he recovered and even then,
as has been truly stated, he owed his life,
under kind heaven, to his extraordinary
hardihood, and the wonderful recuperative
power Of his body.