The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-05
CUNNING FOR BEAR.
ADVENTURES Oh AN AFTERNOON
ON THE SUMAs.
A Lovely Landscape The Music OF the
Hounds Bear and Dogs in Battle
The Rifles Triumph-Sic-
tory at Last.


There being many signs of bears, the
hounds are sent out in charge of the boy, to
start one The stockman and engineer sit
down on log to rest From their resting
place they survey the grandeur that is
spread before them. At their feet lies the
lovely valley, gemmed with many crystal
lake and many a silver stream. Farther
away, the gulf of Georgia Is glittering in
calm beauty. On the edge of the
horizon can be seen the sail; of
a ship that is gliding away into the dis
tance like beautiful white spectre. away
to the south is sesn the blue waters of Bel
lingham bay From speck on its bosom
rises wreath OF smoke-the mail steamer
on its way south. On one side, almost di-
rectly beneath them, sweeps the mighty
Frszar river; on the other, but a few miles
distant, glides the swift Nootsack. Tower
ing over them rises Mount CheaEl, famed
in Indian legend as the home of the I'M
mortal white deer. The sky is cloudles'
and the air is as balmy as that OF May. Are
We of the north west not among the favored
chilire of earth.
In this region it is only in exceptionally
cold winters that the bears hibernate, ami
and as many huckleberries still remain on
the bushes, there is plenty of food for them.
Ire dogs have not been gone more than
half an hour when a long-drawn howl is
heard. There il an elk trail leading up the
mountain. The hunters take this, and rush
up the steep incline as fast as they eau.
Nearer and nearer comes thu mn,ic OF
tn5 hounds but when within suo.t
III lance OF them, they take cross trail
ana descend into deep gulch Telling thu
en sineer to stay and guard the path, tina
sfockmau vani hes down the hillside In3
quarry turns and runs up the mountain side
b. gam. Its course can be traced By ths
barking of the dogs. After circling on tbs
ii cher ranges OF the mountain, 1t coma
rushing down the elk trail again. As they
draw near, the engineer, trembling VITA
ragernsss, raises the hammer OF his gun.
Tlers is a crashing of the bu hes and a
large black bear bursts out not fifteen
yards away, with the collie swapping
at his heels and the hounds baying a few
feet behind
When the bear reaches the open spot OF
the trail, it stops and strikes a terrific blow
at the tormentiny collie. Tds wary dog
-pfing, aside and the great paw descenls on
toe ground with fearful fovca. Well il was
for collie that he was not beneath it Be-
fore tho bear can recover himself, the
plucky little shepherd springs past him an
gives him Vicious nip on the ham. Snarl-
ing with rage the bear rears up Oh his
launches The little gun cracks and the
charge OF B. BIS go tearing through hi
tough hide behind his shoulder He comes
| tuiHniing eni over end down the
p.tl. TIE dogs now all ;-rap.le him
AMI for n few seconds there is g
| mingled mass of bsar AMI dogs rolling Oh
the hIii lie At last ne shaksS him Elf free
OF hi, t0rmAntpri and strikes some sled ,e
hammer blow; at them; bat they ara wise
enough To keep at a safe distance from him,
Again the little gun flashes, and once
more the bear falls, an tn, dogs seiz1 their
fallen foe. Growing. bitins, swapping,
| they swarm over him. Quickly sprlnging
t. Lis fe.t he seizas one OF the hounis, ana
rearing u, ne sqIeeE3s 1t in his terrible hug.
The Ior dog seals forth a piercing howl,
and trea the courageous collie leap up and
gfa ps the bear by the ear Releasing
III moi on the hound, he grasps tha
collie ahl begins to hug it, an at the same
time s!dkS bis teeth in the little hero,
sn,.ul .c:, The engineer ru,he up, place
gun at tie back OF hi NECK, ami fires. The
hear falls. and ralea IS til, deg; and then
| rearing ~, gives a roar of rag, and walks
| t9wark tIe engineer. Once more the fame
leaps from the muzzle, AMI from a distance
CT two feet the charge enters ths eye of tle
| bear anu h. falls dead
4 wl waoop rings out on the mountain
| All. whc is answered from below, and the
tocEmaa soon appears, When he sees tbs
D.ar lying deai, and the dogs worrying
| the iGaumate form, he shouts a ioui
| 'HGrrahl gives the engineer hearty
grip OF the haui, AMI says "Blest if
| thought tlat a man could kill a bear witt
al American pop-gun like that" They ar,
II Nv jpinei by the hoy and be and the stock
maa soon divest the ear OF his hid They
! estimate the weight at $50 pounds.
When they finish the SHINING. the boy il
sent down to thu valley to tell the Indians
that they can have the meat if they want it
| Al ills season of the year the flesh of the
bear tastes so strongly of the salmon Oh
VII ch they have been feeding for months
,Hat it is not palatabie to any one except a,
! in iisn. Tie stock. Ian and engineer follow
| The elk trail downward and soon reach tht
| plIc, where their horses are tied, and mount
| .rlr ri 10 IN tho corral