Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-09-14
veteran, Bear Hunter.

Two old hunters, belonging to the
numerous order of s'has beens," were
recently exchanging truthful tales OF
their early lives in the back-woods, both.
''unknQwnn 70 each other, modestly in
clined to let the other know. that he was
q trifle the smartest.
Colonel Crock opened by remarking
''he had once killed three bears at one
shot with an old army horse-pistol.''
Captain Ben thought s'that was lucky.
How did you do it?'' 4,-,
Crock replied; EASY enough You
500. an old she bar and two cubs came
night after night and deprecated my
corn-crib. ] built it higher; still they
came. l built it sixteen feet high; corn
disappeared all the same, so i just made
up nlylmipd to stop it. loaded up my
old fiint-lock hoss-pistol with two balls,
and lay for the old bar behind the
smoke-house close by the crib.r Pretty
soon the old bar and two cubs came.
1t was too dark to see 'em. Bimeby
the old bar clum on top of the sixteen
foot crib and begun to throw down corn
to the cubs, and she, bein' up high, and
it bein' starlight, saw her, pretty plain.
so I just pointed old 1912 at her head
and fired, and down she ecomekerWhack.
My wife come whewing out with . fan
term. Iltold her to, 60 back. the cubs
might tear her to pieces. Wall, that
woman went back quick. I went and
loaded up the old war-pistol agin, and
took the lantern from her hands all
atremble, and went up to the crib pref
ty cautious like. There she lay, dead
as door nail"
Here Crock paused. Captain Ben,
thinking his story done, and believing
he ''had him, sarcastically inquired,
II thought you said you killed three
bears to one shotP' f.e
$50 I did," quickly responded Crock;
skilled the old she bar, and she fell on
to them two cubs and killed 'em both;
she weighed five hundred pounds
HWall, that was lucky, and it reminds
me of bar once killed with hoe,n
sai& Captain Ben, as Il talking to him
self. I
s.Killed bar with hoe, did you
sayf How youtalk! How did you do itp''
'.Wall, you see, i war on mylast corn
hoein'; corn was pretty stout, and I
s'pose the bars thought it was big
enough to eat; at any rate, as was
hoein' along, / hoed right up to o bar,
Somin' SO close we was both little
skurt the bar most, for he run. Seein'
he want going to tackle me, / thought
I would tackle him; so took arter him
lick-it-a-split tight as could run, and
before be got out of that cornfeld ] kill
ed him with my hoe. He weighed six
hundred pounds i.
s.Wall, / don't dispute you killing the
bar, but what worries me is how You
could outrun him and get near enough
to kill him with hoe. z 4
EASY enough said Captain Ben;
ssyou see, the snow was about three feet
deep, with q pretty stiff crust on; the
bar slumped in while could run on the
crust; seep No trouble to overtake
him."
ssYes, / see; with snow three feet deep,
and crust to bear man and slump q
bear, you might do it; but I can't ex-l
actly see how snow could be so deep and
crusted in hoein' time.'
eyes; wall, that would look . little
strange" said Captain Ben, with head
hung down a little, "but the fact Is
(brightening up), it's true, only i have
made little mistake, and told a part Of
two stories" WI.
Crock was satisfied, and gave up beat
en-. Forest and Stream. 4 ss ssAss