Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-10
CHANCE FIGHT WITH A BEAR.

ARiONSo 49, ~ O31fiA tACl4
CHANCE FIGHT WITH A BEAR.
the Brute Killed.
A Santa Fe dispatch OF June 22d to the
New York Sun has the following
In st. Vincent's Hospital in this place a
few days since, Hugh Love, an old settler
in the Black Range died OF blood poison
ing resulting from injuries received long
time ago with bear. Three or four days
before his death Hugh was visited at the
hospital by several of his friends. His
long white hair and beard gave him the
appearance of a patriarch, and but for the
sunken eyes he did not look much changed.
Something having been said about the bear
fight, the old man said 1t was fight in
real earnest, too-a regular slogging match.
Neither the bar nor me had any arms, and
we fought it out with our flukes. If we'd
had ring and q chance to sell tickets,
we'd both have made our everlasting for
tunes. I'll tell you how it was Me and
the bar ran foul of each other over in the
Black Range west of Chloride. She was
alone and so was I. I had just been eating
a little something, and consequently my
rife and cartridge belt were on the
ground some little distance away. was
picking my teeth and thinking of
nothing in particular, when all of
sudden there came tremendous
crash, and, looking up, | saw she
bear coming for me. didn't have time to
get my gun or to wink. The beast was on
me so quick that all | could do was to
square myself. AS she came within reach
l gave her one on the tip of the nose that
made her grunt, and keeled her up on her
hind legs. When you've hunted bars as
long as | have you'll know that the beak is
the place to lift bar. They can't stand
no hammering on the horn. My blow
maddened her, and she came for me hot
tern ever the next time. Fearing blow
from one of her fore paws, | Just grabbed
up to keep her from hugging me, and if
her and me didn't have bear dance for
about five minutes, up hill and down dale,
then my name amt Love. Pretty soon she
broke loose, and jumped back far enough
to get good foothold. Then as she came
up | planted man-killer on her nose
again, and knocked her down as slick as
you ever see anybody drop. But she was
up again in a second, and this time she gave
it to me. pasted her onein the nose again,
but she reached for me with her right and
caved in my shoulder, breaking some of
the bones. The blood ran down my clothes,
but it only made me fight the harder At
first was scared, but now was mad, and
l made up my mind that | would do up
that b ar or die in the attempt. l grabbed
her quick under the fore legs and tried to
waltz with her again, but my shoulder hurt
me, and as | was trying to get a fresh hold
on her she tripped me and down we rolled.
ho Iat, al ~
over and over half dozen times quicker n
| can tell it. First the b ar was on top, and
then me. By this time she had clawed me
in the side and bitten one of my hands, but
there was some wind in me yet, and as she
rose on her launches let go my uninjured
fist and knocked her down again. As fig
ured it, that was the fifth round, and If
could have had little time would have
been in better condition to have continued
the fight. but she didn't wait. Coming at
me again, l lodged a blow from her paw
and gave her a thumper that she will re-
member to the day Of Judgment She fell
like beef, and 1 was on top in a moment
Right there the side of the mountain
became very rough and steep, and my idea
was that If l could catch the beast while
she was staggering under M blow | could
dump her over the cliff and let her slide
Well, me and the bar had it there for
about minute, and didn't know which
of us would go over. Finally l got her
head pointed downward, and by kicking
her front legs out from under her, ana as
soon as possible giving her boost from
behind, got her over the edge. Her great
bulk carried her some distance before she
could stop herself, and by that time | had
grabbed some pieces Of rock and began
bombarding her. She tried to crawl up,
but the rocks gave way under her, and she
slipped back as fast as she advanced, and
started two or three cave-ins, which made
lots of trouble for her. Then / made up
my mind that whether she crawled up or
not | could get time to reach my gun, and
off | started When I got back the bar
was still trying to make her way up, and,
as | then had my rifle, just sat down and
smiled on her Then, when she had made
some progress and it looked as though she
might reach me, let her have it between
the eyes. That ended my bar fight, and it
was the last ever had. My wounds were
pretty bad, and, as they never entirely
healed, I'm here now trying to get cured. y