San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-06-08

"fhe painter kept Citing closer TO
mo. and when / reached that cave ne
vast more than fifty yards away ana
was keeping up such tearing round
fiat / couldn't draw bead on HIM
nOhow. r
inst backed into it, and commenced 10
SIGHT along the barrel of my rifle at
flat painter, expecting him to stop, sort
of surprised like, and then I'd lot him
have il. He did stop ut last, and his
side was toward me, giving me chance
10 put bullet into his heart by shoot
ing behind his shoulder; and was lst
drawing u fire bead on that part OF HIM
when, by thunder, heard growl be,
hind me that made my ha'r raise right
up-for the growl was familiar one
and 1 took in the situation IL second.
"Thar was bar in that cave, and
had overlooked his tracks when | back
ed into the mouth of it; and thar was,
with hungry painter in front OF me,
eittin ready to attack me, and an angry
old bar moving on my rear.
81 had fortified agin the panther in
front, but what was to do to protect
my rear from the b'ar2 If you was
ever in a place like that, bet you
thought of a thousand things in no
time. I know / did.
al first thought I'd give the painter
shot, anyhow, with the hope that the
bar wouldn't interrupt the proceedings;
but Just then 1 heard the bar a-hustlin'
towards me, and knew there was no
time to be lost, so jist give a spring
out of that hole, and let out q yell
that so surprised the painter that he
skinned up a tree in second.
"Then said to myself that maybe
I'd better climb tree, too; it would
give chance to fight them one at
time, if they followed me up, and might
be the means of gittin' up fight be.
tween the painter and bar, that would
let me out of the scrimmage altogether.
"Wall, there was beech-tree right
below me, with branches almost to the
ground, and I ran to it, and holding my
rifle in one hand, I made my legs and
the other hand do good service, and
went up that tree at rate that made
the painter envious.
"Soon as I'd gone far as 1 could, IL be-
gan to take my bearings. l seed the
painter stretched out on the limb of an
oak tree about fifty yards off, regard.
ing the bar with flashing eyes, and no
doubt waiting for him to get within
leaping distance, and thar was the bar
noseing around within few feet of the
root of my tree.
Gle was fine sample of black bar,
and was on my trail. Now I tell you
when took in the situation my mad
began to come right up, and had my
plans laid in short order. I concluded
to let the painter have some cold lead
behind the shoulder, fur had clear
shot at him, and if l wounded him, l
knew he would come to the bar first,
and go fur him;if killed him, and the
lar come up the tree before L could
load agin, then T concluded to meet
him halfway and give him the benefit
of my butcher-knife.
81 drew bead on that painter and
let drive. It was a dead shot for sure,
and I've called my rifle 'Dead-shot'
ever since. The painter got the lead
right in his heart, made u terrific spring
off the limb of that tree, came down
on the ground with crash, and COM
menced twisting around in the agonies
of death.
"When he dropped I knew his cake
was baked, and l give all my attention
to the bar. He didn't seem to pay any
attention to the pant'er's fate it was me
he was after, and he was already climb
ing up the tree.
Il list laid my rifle on some limbs,
TUX off my coat, drew my butcher-knife,
and laid for him. On he came, shifting
the air, and kinder skinning the eye at
n e, and occasionally letting out a growl
until his nose was within a foot of
mine.
He was already opening his mouth
to reach for me-. when L dropped my
coat over his head; then L hung on
with one hand to limb, reached down,
and drove my knife in between his
sholders with the other, with all the
strength could command.
"That bar jist gave one awful growl,
let go with his fore-feet to claw the
coat away from his head, and then went
pitching down through the limbs of the
tree, crushing them as he went.
Il grabbed my gun, and commenced
putting in load, at the same time
watching the bar. When he struck the
ground, he lit fair on his head, and I
could see the blood running from be-
tween his shoulders in large stream.
He tumbled around, got up and fell
down again, two or three times, and by
the time 1 had my gun loaded, he was
lying over on his side, breathing his
last.
when came down out of that tree,
1 was jist about the proudest man you
,,-or .saaJ paDt,ar and h'ar was both |