The bee., 1883-03-24
ATHRILLING ADVENTURE.
The Story Of a Hunters Fight With a Fnmi-
ly OF Bears In Pennsylvania.

derness for the past sixty years. The
following is an account of one of his
most thrilling adventures:
Where Bradford now stands-a city
of Is 900 inhabitants-werea few lum-
bermen's houses, in the very heart of
the wilderness. The scene of Jim
Jacobs adventure was Gniy a few
miles distant. He had been hunting,
with very little success, for several
days, when, near the headwaters of
Sugar creek, he came upon signs Of
Lear. A snow-storm, which promised
to be a heavy one, had begun at about
the same time. Being we'll acquainted
with the habits OF bears. the Indian
knew that this storm woul1 drive
them into the first places of shelter
which the rocks and ravine5 of that
part of the county would afford them.
He felt instinctiytly that he would be
sure to find at least one bear safely
slowed away On the sguth size of q
high and somewhat steep ridge, two
miles from where he discovered the
first signs of the animals, and he deter
mined to take up position there, so
that he might Ee in readiness to meet
his game at the earliest opportunity.
With provisions sufficient for himself
and dog for two days, he started for
the rocky ridge. Along the south side
of the ridge a ledge of rocks twenty
feet high and crowned with gDarled
growth Of dwarf eyergreenS extended
for nearly q mile. The ledge was
broken into wide seams in places, and
in othcr5 shelving rocks protruded and
orned caverns or cavities that extend
ed La k in the ledge from ten to twen-
ty fee. BY the time the Indian and
his dog hal reached this part of the
rilge the sn IVY had fallen to great
depth, and was still falling heavily.
The S: ans in the ledge and the mouths
of the caverns were her and there al
most closed by the snow. At the
mouth of Cne Of these, however, Ja-
cobs discovered the inevitable indica-
tion that bear had sought refuge
within-the presence of small de
preston in the snow, as if it were
being melted from the un Ter side. This
the Indian knew was caused by the
breath of one or more bear5 lying in
side with their nos,s toward the open
ing.
Jacobs knew that no bear would
make its appearance on the outside
until the storm was over, and the
snow was so binding that he con-
cluded it would be better to wait until
it had ceased falling before making an
attack. Jacobs sought the summit OF
the ledge, where he made snug place
for himself and dog by roofing over
with hemlock boughs a large creyice
between two huge rocks and closing
up the front of the opening in the
same way. 1t continued showing the
remainder of the day, and at the end
of the next day showed no sign of
ceasing. The position chosen by ia
cObs for his shelter, he now began to
see, had such surroundings that if a
wind should arise and the snow be
drifted, he would be closed in behind
fortress Of snow many feet thick and
hi~l- Tho snnw was already .heaned
up high around the rocks, but ne
feared that an attempt to seek another
place would be attended with greater
peril than it would be to take the
chances in getting out after the snow
ceased falling. Late in the night of
the second day the wind commenced
blowing gale, and continued blowing
all night and the greater part of next
dly. When it ceased Jacobs made up
his mind that the storm had also
ceased. and that he must lose no time
in finding way out of his position,
for he was shut in by a drift the depth
and extent of which he had no means
of knowing. Fortunately, the position
OF the rocks around him had confined
the drifting snow to the inclosure thus
formed, and Jacobs emer red into the
open space beyond after tunneling
about forty feet. The wind had swept
the snow almost clean from the slope
Of the ridge and in patches from the
foot of the ledge. Jacobs had good
view of the cave where the bear had
taken shelter, and was preparing to 90
lOwn, smoke the game out, and kill it,
when he was attracted by the yelping
If his dog, which had been running
about after emerging from the snow |
;unnel.
The Indian hurried to the spot and
here discovered a large she-bear |
standing On her launches, defending
iwo cubs from the dog. She was furi- |
,us with rage. jacobs stepped around |
rom behind clump of dwarf cedars |
Il order to get better sight of the |
'ear, andin doingso stepped on small |
tone that was hidden under the snow.
The stone turned and the Indian fell |
within ten feet of the in
uriated bear. His gun fe.l from his
land, and before he could recover it
he bear sprang toward him. The
'ear paid no attention to the dog,
which harassed it II I'M behind, but
eemed determined to make an end of
he hunter ut once. Jacobs agility
nabled him to regain his feet, how
yer, before the bear was upon him,
nd he at once Logan to retreat, sup
'osing that the bear would remain
With her cubs and attack the dog.
With a fierce cry, however, and fol
owed by her cubs, she fastened On
fter Jacobs. Owing to the steepness
f the ridge, the Indian did not feel
hat he could safely engage in a hand
o-hand fight with the bear there, so he
if she pressed him, to drop |
D the bottom of the ldge, where, il
ne bear leaped after him, he would be
n good footing, and could bring tohis