The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-01
FRANK M'COY's coon HUNT.
No One should TO Coon Hunting without
Being Loaded for Bear.

profession OF being hunter, writes n
correspondent of the New York Times
but having confidence enough in himself
to think that he could shoot Good IL he
could find one, he borrowed shotgun
and a dog few days ago and started ont to
look a for coon. Not knowing that a man
might as we'll look for eels on a scrub oak
barren as TO hunt for coons in the day
time, Mr.. Mccoy secured the country for
miles around, patiently and piuckiIy
keeping his eye out for the coon he con-
fidently believed he would be able to lay
low. The dearth of 3oons finally became
so apparent TO the patient and persistent.
hunter that he turned mis- face homeward.
He had reached Il hollow along Pine
Greek, when his borrowed dog showed the
first sign of being discon,erted by any
thing in the shape of game. The dog
began to brlstle up and growl and act rs
if ne had grudge against ciump of
bushes few rods away.
Believing that a coon had ct last been
started, and fully satisfied that - is to
the man that waits that everything comes,
Mr.. Mccoy prepared to load the coon
with shot as soon as the tardy animal
showed itself out of the bushes. He
"sicked" the dog on, and the dog growled
and barked louder and louder. Mccoy
drew cautiously near TO the thicket, and
| finally began to part the bushes TO get
| sight at the coon, IL the coon would not
come ou. of the brush to be sighted.
Mccoy did not see the coon, but his eyes
rested on big bear that stood in repose
behind the bushes, evidently deiibsrating
| on what course he would pursue.
There was the stump of a fallen tree
few feet TO McCoy's right. IT was about
four feet high. Mccoy did not pause to
| deliberate on what course be would pursue,
but proceeded at once to annihilate the
distance between himself and the stump.
He did il in three jumps. At single
bound he mounted the stump. The cog
had not yet seen the bear, and still sup
posed he was showing off for the benefit
of the coon, and he stood still and hrist-
led and growled, probably interprising
the celebrity and AGILITY of the hunter To
mean that he could get q better shot
from the stump. BY that tins the bear
had decided on hi. course. He broke
through the brush aud came Cus toward
the dog like q log rolling dos hill. The
astonished dog quit bristIing, and turning
tail ou the bear went 10 hu.tliag, Mccoy
bethought him of his gun, and, taking
aim at the bear, biszsd away. The gun
was loaded with fine shot. and tho charge
took effect in one of the bears eyes, put
ting it out. That probably saved the dog
from impending peril, for With a how
that nearly shook Mccoy from the stump
the bear turned and charged on the hun
ter on his perch.
This change in the bears tactics gave
the dog time to recover himself, and he
came back, and grabbing the bear by the
| l..
self The dog was big and strong, and
. the bear stopped. He was undecided
however, whether to- turn and chide the
dog or lunge forward and che.tise the
: hunter. Pending decision in the case
Mccoy let go his remaining barrel at the
, bear as the latter hung poised, rs it were
between two opinions. IL is not known
, where in the bear, ifanywhere, the seconc
charge took effect, but the result of the
shot evidently paralyzeipg bruin, for h'
remained halting where he was, the
, dog tugging at his hind feet, while Nc
|, Coy on his stump loaded and fired sever a
, times at him.
At last the bear seemed to arrive at tht
! conclusion that things were not going or
q as they should, for he gave sudden kicl
with the leg the dog was doing his bes
to chew in two, and the dog tumbled Il
= earth en- feet away. The bear then re-
sumed his interrupted advance on tn
hunter. Il was in expectation of som
such termination of the bears delibera
tiou Mccoy had reserved his ammunition
and ii was not until he saw the whites o
u the enemy's eyes and the root os hi
tongue through the wide open jaws. tina
he gave himself the order to fire. TIL
contents OF both barrels entered tn
. bears mouth and lodged somewhere il
the interior, but the bear kept right on
!, Mccoy leaped from the stump fully re
= solved on hasty aud unbroken flight, bu
! as he Jumped he noticed blood ponrin
from the bears mouth in streams, an
having had some experience in hog kill
ing, he knew tina. not even big bea
= could last long with such waste of bloc
J as that: he concluded 10 take the risk G
hanging around SO he could be in 6
- bruins death.
% With the intention of Fastening th
). catas.rophy, he took out mis- knife an
y waited for the bea., as it came staggerin
= toward him, and when it reached him, b
= :. gras ped il by one ear and sank the knit
deep in the BEARS head. But the dyin
b ute had more strength than McCo
: suspected, and before he could draw h
knife to use it again, bruin dealt him
: blow with one of his paws that knocke
} the ovsr-confident hunter down. FortI
! nately for Mccoy the dog was not sati
. ; fed with the part he had taken in tn
= combat, and just as the bear smote Nj
: Coy to the earth, the dog pitched in agai
! and drew the bears attention away froI
Mccoy. That was the last thing the do
= = ever did except to die, for with one swee
u of the bears fore-paw the dogs COO
hunting days were over.
In the meantime McCoy had manage
10 get on his feet, convinced that a stuc
! hog and a wounded bear was not of th
: same capacity and resolved to carry OF
I, the intention he had on leaving th
stump. He started TO run, but heard
= heavy fall and locking back saw the bi
Y body of the bear stretched dead on tn
ground. McCoy's knife was still stickin
;, in his head, the blade having sunk dee
= in the brain. Mccoy went after help, an
: the bear was carried to Pine Mills, McCo
u assuring his com panions on the way tbs
Il no one should ever go coon hunting un
. less loaded for bear.
Chased by Rhinocerous
4! Whatever il was about me that attrac
/ ed his attention, writes Rider Haggard
Harpar'a Maypzina the rhinDceros 500