The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
A MULE WHIPS BEAR
Desperate Combat IN q Penn
s~ylvania Forest.
The Mule Uses His Heels Upon Bruin
With Fatal Precision.

and Eph Durham, brawny woodchoppers
Of the upper Lehigh timber region, took
a team of mules last Saturday and began
10 draty railroad ties from the woods out
10 the main road. Along in the after
1oon they let the mules stand in the
wood road, while they went ahead to cut
down a lot of saplings. Presently they
saw a black bear tramping through the
snow in the rear of the sleigh. When
The bear reached the sleigh he turned to
the right, walked past it, and shifted at
| The heels of the old mule. The mule
who appeared to be sleeping when the
Dear waddled up, stuck up his ears at once,
raiscd his right hind foot like afiash, and
| gave the bear a terrible kick in the neck.
The bear tumbled over in the snow par
tally stunned by the blow, the sharp
calks of the mules shoe having cut and
| bruised the flesh directly behind the ear.
Durham and Carney laughed heartily
at the mules peculiar conduct, for he
had always been a very docile animal,
and ran down to the team at once.
| Meantime the bear had recovered from
the kick and got on his feet again, and
was looking around to see where he was
and to find out what had hit him. The
mule turned his head and got a glimpse
Of the bear just as Durham and Garvey
came down to the sleigh. The sight
seemed to enrage the mule, for he instant
" became restless. He reared up, plung-
ed forward, and tried to yank himself
away from his mate. Every motion indi-
Gated that he wanted tv be let loose on
the bear.
"Say we onharness him an let him
fight the bear if he wants to- remarked
Garvey.
"All right" said Durham; F'we1l do
it."
Durham then jumped to the mules
head and unsnapped the lines. In an
other second the hame strap and the bel.
Iyband were unbuckled, and the mule
slipped from under the harness with moth
ing on except the headstall and collar.
Then the mule turned straight around
and made for the bear with all his might.
He lunged forward with SO much force
and speed that he went right over the
bears back before he stopped. The bear
did not attempt to get away, but stood
upon his launches and was ready to fight
as soon as the mule turned upon him.
The mule struck at the bear savagely
with both forward feet, but the bear
lodged and thus escaped the blow. Then
the bear rushed at the mule, uttering a
grunt of anger as he did so, and tried to
strike him in the breast. The mule, how
ever, showed more anger and grit than
the bear did, and, as the latter came to-
ward him, he struck the bear on the
shoulder with M of his sharp calks, and
the bear grooming with pain from the
blow, backed away. The mule quickly
followed up.the advantage he had gained,
and the bear tumbled backward over a
log, making the snow fly. The mule
leaped over the log and struck the bear
on the back with both fore feet before he
had time to get up, but he paid dearly
fo- - for 4ho haor &rcAol liz lanl
around and got the mules right forelea
between his jaws and bit it badly.
Durham and Garvey, who had the ut.
most confidence in the mules ability ia
conquer the bear, kept at a safe distance
and watched the fight closely. While
The bear was trying to crush the bone in
the mules leg, the mule bit the bears eal
and made the blood run. A moment
later the mule succeeded in yanking his
leg from the bears jaws, pranced around
in the snow after he had done SO, and ap.
peared to be madden than ever. Then
the two Infatuated animals came together
again. As the mule raised his front feet
to strike, the bear sprang under his body.
knocked his hind legs from under him,
and tumbled him over on his side. The
mule scrambled to his feet in a second,
rushed up to the bear, and gave him such
a tremendous thump on the nose that il.
made the bear stagger and roar He wa,
not yet ready to retire from the conflict
though, and as he made another effort to
strike the mule the blood spurted from
his n~ostrils. He stuck his nose into the
snow and groaned loudly, and the mule
stood off a few feet and eyed him steadily
Presently the bear raised his head and
plunged at his antagonist again. The
mule wheeled suddenly as the beaI
approached him, and, turning his tail
toward the bear, kicked him in the jaw
with one of his hind feet and kieled hin
over on his back. Before he could gel
on his feet again the mule had begun IL
stamp on him with his sharp calks. Tht
bear struggled desperately to get awaJ
from the terrible blows which his long.
cared antagonist dealt him, but his efforh
were useless. The bear was getting
weaker and weaker, and, when Dunbar
and Garvey ran to the spot and dubbed
the mule off, was unable to rise and wal
moaning piteously. Garvey at once hi
the bear on the top of the head with