Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1880-01-31
A Bear Story.

"I haven't hunted any in several years,
said Billy Muir. who has been shot three times,
has three rios broken IN railroad snash-up,
has bad three toes amputated, aud has been
run over three times by locomotives " but
remember some peculiar circumstances that
occurred between myself aud bear almost
tie FIRST time we0t hunting. | bad an old
four-chambered revolver that carried car
fridge like a small sweet potato. II took an
awful pull 20 So, hor of, Uut when the trigger
went down She lever stopped going Until tho
whole four barrels had emp'iel themselves,
sometimes all st once, and sometimes IN sue
cession. Il wasn't very safe piece OF ordi-
nance TO use With al the chambers charged,
so never .oaded more than oue except when
wanted to exhibit the capacity Of the pistol.
On the occas, am referring TO, had heard
thera was bear hanging round over on the
Panpack R.icc, four or five miles from whero
lived. ! thought there was such thing as
my Distinguishing myself at the start by
fetching down that bear, 50 one day took
MY riils aud my pistol. oud tampei over to
the ridge. ! don't think ! bad got into tho
woods more than quarter Of mlle, when
saw a laundering Ulg bear about iiiiy yards
ahead Of me, eating wild honey from hollow
tree. which had boo blown down during some
hard wind. had peycr seen wild bear be-
FORE and was consequently very nervous, but
pulled up my rifle and whangcd away at
the big brute. | never touched him and he
didn't seem to mind my shooting. lired three
times, and every time aimed ai spot just
4 back Of MS fore shoulder The third shot cut
the bears tail clean oil, aud it fell 10 tbo
ground This apparently astonished bruin.-
lie turned around, picked up tho tail, gazed
az il cuiiously for a moment. as il be couldn't
believe the eyideuce OF his sycsight, aud then
rollsl himself mp 10 ball, booked between bis
hind legs at the spot where his tail used 20
be, and actually fitted the severed rppsnisco
10 IT, This inspection apparently satisfied
him that bis worst fears were only too well
founded. lie uuroled himself and with
crowl tha, mecut business, started bot foot
for me. dropped my gun and ma lc for tie
aeafcs, tioc, aud sliuuCd up In less time
than il takes me 10 Tell Il. bad my pistol in
my helt aud every barrel wss loaded. paus-
ed on limb about ten feet fron The ground
/ Tbs bear uas at tie foot 4 tic tree, ready u
ascend. lie was looking right up ai ne, aud
his mouth was open ai least eight inches. !
was fcaIfully scared, and my hands tfemblcd
so tha, in taking NY pisiJ. out Of my belt
aud cooking Is, II slipped from ne, and fell
I ker-pluuk irtu tho Lcar's mouth. lie made
one eulp and swallowed il, II didn', seem 70
/ diseommode him In the least. Re closed his
! Jaws. and il locked 10 n,c rs II thoughiful
1 expression came over his face. 4 new ideA
seemed 70 strike him as il were Al any ratio
he hurried back 10 the spot where had shot
| Z. al "a 81 tf..r a.
appeared 10 The woods nj the top OF his fpeed
| lost 10 time in getting down out Of that
tree, securing my gun, aud making my best
I time ior homo For months the hunters tried
TO get sight of ,ha, bear, but !t VAS no Use
lie couldn't be found. Every ybody thought lie
had crawlel of aud died. A year alcrwaTd
/ was.sianding'on runaway fof deer on Pan
pack Ridge, when along came a BIZ bear,
taking !, easy through the woods funny
thing about him was his tail which turned up
ward Ike o desr's. while a bears lass Hat
dowa. ], gave him very riliculous appear
ance, aud could scarcely take aim no him,
had 10 laugh So. The bcas wss close % me,
and hadn't seen nc. / sent ball into him.
simultaneously with the report. | saw biz
piece Of tic bear ty upward Then came an
ether report, followed by two more. and the
bear was scattered about the woods like an.
tumu leaves. At first was frightened, but
IL wasn't ten seconds before understood the
whole thing. The bear was one that had
swallowed my pistol year before Ny rife
uall had penetrated the bears stomach AZ the
spot w.cre the pistol still lay, aut bad biz tho
hammer with force enough 90 knock IL down
That. of course discharged one chamber and
as usual the Others followed. This cxpana-
ton was satisfactory 20 me until ] happened
to think that my bear Of thc year before was
minus q tail, Niile this ono bad tail. allhO'
a funny one hunted around among Ne re.
mains Of the late bear, and finally found tho
piece that had the Tail On. II was bears
/ tail. but was on upside .wn. Closer iuspcc.
/ ton revealed The fact that II bad not origin
ally been 10 that position II vas all plain 30
/ me then. When the bsaf ,hat fwalloWcd my
] pistol he'd seemed % b. eirac,: with scw idea
at the foot Of the tree, be bad thought of
sticking hi, tail back 10 rs place bgfOrc il got
cold, with tho hope that it would grow fast
agaia To carry out tlis happy thought be
had hurried away picked up bis tail, AID then
few 10 the solitude ol bis den g. perform tie
operation IN bis bury AMI excitement hc
stuck the tail on upsi lc down 10 give /.
time 20 unite firmly with tho parent flesh
again, the bear remained quiet 10 DIS den
This was why the hunters could never Gnd tho
bear By the prond and disniGod way in
which the bear was marching along when
shot lin with such disastrous results, / can
jilly believe !. was bis FIRST appearance ia.
pullic with bis grated tail"
This one was more thln The old settler
could stand. lie swung his cane and mado
the bar-room howl.-Couaty CmTespoHdcncc
" y. Sun.
Not Bit Astonished.