The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-02-28

understood the tactics and etiquet of
the woods perfectly. Once neigh
Dor of some hunting pretentiOns,
wounded large bear in the shoulder,
but he lacked the skill or courage to
secure the game. The veteran had
to be consulted forces in men and
dogs were joined, and a grand fight
came off. Bruin was driven to the
last ditch by the allies, that is he took
an upright position with his back
against tree, and boxed the dogs
right and left with his sound arm.
After the sparing had proceeded, and
been enjoyed for sometime, the old
chief put an end to the battle with
well directed shot from his cannon"
The product of this heroic beast was
400 lbs. of cleaned meat, and half a
barrel of oil. Once while In the quiet
pursuit of fine buck with favor
able snow, though the trail was not
hot one, but the pursuer knew
about when and where the game could
be 0vertaKen, but suddenly disap-
pointment and disgust came. A
''sneak!ng painter" had been laying
in wait for the unsuspecting deer,
and sprang upon it with a leap of 80
feet it was already killed, partially
eaten, and snugly hidden for future
meals. The circumVented hunter at
once went for his traps, and set them
the same evening to the ready pre-
pared bait. The first visit found the
sneak in bonds, ready for fight, but
at great disadvantage. The enraged
beast tried 10 climb a tree, and tore
gashes in it that could be seen for
many years. He was duly shot ac-
cording to the law in such case made
and provided-length II feet from
nose to tip Of tail-the regulated
length Of a fence rail. This was
Christly's last panther fight, and the
scene of it near the Laurel Run,
In the early part of his hunting life
he shot an elk, between the waters of
Horse Pond and Savage. This was
the last of the race in this county, but
their immense antlers in early times
were frequently found. Deer of the
male kind will sometimes fight very
viciously, even withNheir own kind.
Our subject once found positive evil
dence of this fact in the woods. Two
horned bucks had fought a desperate
duel. The weaker one was dead and
the stronger alive, with their great
horns so interlOcked that they could
not be disentangled till the survivor
was killed, and Ratchet used to cut
off some of the involved prOngs.
Want of space constrains further
indulgence in the many exciting and
dangerous encounters in which our
subject participated but no doubt
the reader would like to know some
thing of the weapons which distrOy-
ed so many animals. lie never used
but two rifles-the bear gun or cam
non already mentioned. which dis
appeared long ago. But his favOrite
gun is yet in ineXistence, and is in
the possession of his son, BAIL, and
greatly priced by him. 1t is of the
ancient pattern, four feet six inches
long, after being cropped at the breach
in changing it from a flint to percurs-
sion lock !; with plain brass mount
ing, no silver, that would glare and
frighten game. On the face of the
barrel dimly appears, IN. RiZer,"
the maker, no doubt. He used the
same shot pouch throughout his life.
The suspended powder horn by long
useage and mere friction became
worn through. He would not replace
it with new one, but repaired it
with a jacket of leather, and in this
way it came to his son, who deeply
regrets its loss by a careless neighbour
What precious articles these would
be for the relic hunter, such as Judge
Tomkins, of the Pension Bureau.
Mechach Br0Wning's celebrated gun
is said to be in the Smithsonian In
stitute.
Christly had a story or anecdote for
any place, time or situation, nearly
always of his own experience. No
one dared exceed him. When a good
one would be told by another he was
always ready with a better one. Even
his beloved Hiss" had to bear some
of his often told stories, one of which
was something like this: In early
life one evening in the dusk" she
went out to milk her cows, one of
which was black muIy. After milk.
ing one, she walked towards her
muly, as she thought, but she trotted
away with heavy grunt. Verify it
was a bear in the place of the black
COW. No harm whatever having been