The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-12-16
TO BE CONTINUED.
Good Bear Story.

U01v0U Al Cu0Ms
10 BE CONTINUED.
Good hear Story.
Scranton, Pa, special.-One day last
week Darius Bentley, who was riding
his horse through little ravine near
the foot Of Pocono Knob, saw a bear
across the road short distance ahead
of him. He rode into the little settle
ment at the base of the Knob and re-
ported what he had seen, and. before
he was out Of sight, all Of the inhabit-
ants of the neighborhood had assembled
and soon were in pursuit Of bruin.
Nick Hummell, Zibe Holbrooke, Hank
Joslin, and Sid Chase shouldered their
rifles and led the party down into the
ravinc.
All the dogs in the neighborhood went
along to take part in the hunt, but they
made SO much noise that Dave Wick
ham tied them together and held them
back. Then the men with rifles hurried
down to the point in the ravinc where
Bentley had seen the bear, the others
remaining behind to keep the dogs
still. There was thick growth OF
saplings and some larger timber on
each side Of the crooked road, and
Hummel and the other rifle men We're
soon out of sight Of Wickham and his
party. Presently the men with the
dogs heard several shots fired down in
the ravinc, and they made up their
minds that the hunters had run foul of
the bear. They were on the point OF
running down to see what had happen
ed, when Sam Tompkins yelled out:
..Therc he is now!' and pointed
north.
On barren bluff about twenty rods
from the head Of the ravine stood \
very large bear. 1t was looking toward
that part of the gully where the firing
was going on, and did not notice the
men who had charge Of the dogs.
Wickham then led the dogs through
clump Of bushes where they could get
good view Of the bear, and then un-
tied them and let them 60. The whole
pack of mongrel ours started for bruin
on a lively run, barking loudly as they
scampered up the hillside. and the bear
turned and made for the woods. The
dogs caught it before it had gone very
far, and the yelping that followed in.
Dictated to Wickham that the ours were
gettin the worst of the tussle.
When Wickham let the dogs loose,
Tompkins ran down the ravine to SEE
what Hummell and his party had beer
shooting at. They said they had been
firing simply to see if they couldn'1
scare up bear. and when Tompkins
told them that the bear had been seer
on the bluff. and that the dogs were
then about to tackle it. they hurried VI
the gully to where Wickham was wait
ling for them. Then the six hunter.
started at double-quick gait for thu
scene.
| On their way up they met one OF thu
dogs. 1t was hopping along on thre'
legs and yelping rs though it had beer
kicked by mule. 1t would not stol
when they called to it, but kept limp
ing on toward the gully as fast AS it
three sound legs would carryit. Alittl'
further up another bowling cu1
was making quick time down tn,
steep hillside with CHASTITY woundinit
right shoulder.
When the hunters had got to the tol
of the bluff they saw three dead dog
lying around where the bear had beer
holding a picnic, but the bear was not il
sight. The hunters tracked it to another
gully nearer to the steepest part o
Pocono Knob. Where they lost thu
trail.
Then the men separated with the de
termination Of finding the bear befor,
nightfall. The underbrush was s.
thick as to make it impossible to Sc.
the bear many yards away, and eacl
man searched with extreme caution.
In the course of an hour Joslin heard
il cracking in the underbrush ant
stopped. The bear was coming towart
him. Joslin waited until the bear wa
within about five yards of him, and thel
fired. His aim had not been accurat,
to send a bullet to a vital spot, but thu
shot had slightly wounded the bear. an.
Il moment later tho Infatuated brut
was making Joslin hop around among
the bushes like kernel of corn on ,
hot griddle. Joslin was not prepare,
for such reception, as his rifle ha'
only one barrel. The bear knocked hin
head over heels in less than a minut
after he had wounded the animal, an
then he began to yell for help. Hol
brooke heard his cries, and, when h
ran over to assist Joslin, the latter ha
lost his coat and vest in the tussle, an
was pretty well tuckered out. Hol
brooke then put bullet through tn
bears head, and the great bear hunt wa
, ended.