St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-03

with bears, says the New York Times.
Since the middle of November last
Fleming had been unable to visit his
hunting grounds in Nicholas county
until last Thursday. on account of in
jurieS inflicted on him by bear that at
tackled him unexpectedly. Up to that
time Fleming had killed twelve bears
during the season. and he was following
his dogs. who had struck the trail of the
thirteenth. Fleming was some
distance behind his dogs, when he
was suddenly confronted by an
immense she bear that rose up out of
the brush, and which the dogs had not
scented i'm their eagerneSS on the trail of
the bear they We're following. Before
Fleming could raise his gun 10 his
shoulder the bear WAS upon him, and
with one blow of her fore paw felled
him 10 the ground. As he lay half
stunned on the ground the bear began
tearing At him With her teeth and claws.
and 10y the time fleming had recovered
himself and began struggling 10 regain
his feet his clothing from the neck down
was torn to ShredS and his flesh was
terribly lacerated. To get upon his
feet Fleming had TO turn over on his
hands and knees. and as he did so the
bear struck both fore paws between his
shoulders and sank her long, sharp
claws clear through his heavy hunting
clothes and buried them deep in his
flesh. As Fleming rose up the bear
ripped her claws down his back and
stripped his clothing down TO his heels,
and gashed the flesh in half dozen
places to the bone
THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF HIS BODY.
Gaining his feet. Fleming turned TO
attack the bear with his knife, but the
bear threw herself bodily upon him and
bore him 10 the ground again. falling
upon him heavily and knocking the
breath from his body. In the fall the
knife was knocked out of Fleming's
hand and far out of his reach. The
bear held him as in wise. and the hero
of many a contest III the woods gave
himself up for lost. At that moment he
heard the yelping OF the dogs, and knew
that they were approaching. A second
later another bear passed within ten
feet OF where Fleming lay helpless in
the clutch of the she bear. and as it did
not pause 10 take a hand in the fight.
Fleming knew that the logs were close
on its track. The bear had scarcely
passed when the dogs came up, and at
once attacked the bear that hid their
master at her mercy.
The bear fOrSOOk her victim to defend
herself against the dogs. and while they
were engaging her Fleming dragged
himself to where his gun lay, and rising
up 10 sitting posture he fired. sending
a ball through the bears brain. killing
her Instantly Fleming then fell back
helpless and half-fainting TO the ground.
His dogs by their continuous yelping
and barking attracted the attention of
two other hunters who happened to be
in the vicinity. and they came to Flem-
ing'S aid. They carried him home
and his lite was for long time des-
paired of.
He recovered, however, and, although
not yet strong, started on his first hunt
ing trip last Thursday since his fight
with the bear. He went out for the
purpose of tracking deer in the snow
not suppOSing that there were any bears
remaining out of their winter quarters.
In the locality where he had had the
narrow escape in November, much to
his surprise, he struck the
FRESH TRACK OF A BEAR
that had Shuffied along through the
SNOW. Fleming could not restrain him.
self from following the track, and only
few rods ahead he came upon the
bear in hollow in the woods. 1t tried
to get away, but was so handicapped
by the deep snow that its progress W as
a few feet of the bear and sent ball
into its shoulder. Bruin fell in the snow
and began to bleed freely from its
wound. Fleming fired again as the bear
struggled i'll the snow, and, knowing
that he had given the big animal its
death wound, he stood quietly in his
tracks watching it die. Suddenly the
bear sprang TO its feet, and, with
one plunge through the snow.
threw itself bodily upon the hunter.
As in his November fight, Flem-
ing was taken entirely by surprise, and
was unprepared for the attack. He
with its entire weight upon him and be-
gan ripping with its claws and snap
ping and tearing with its teeth at the
hunters breast and legs. The bear
raised its head to catch Fleming by the
throat, but he prevented that by thrust
ing his arm between the open jaws of
the Infatuated but rapidly weakening
brute. The bear closed its jaws on the
arm and. in spite of the protection of
the heavy clothing, crunched through
the bones as if they had been brittle
sticks. The great pain, coming so sud-
denly upon Fleming in his weak condi-
ton, caused him to faint. He does not
know how long he was Unconscious, but
when he came to the bear was lying
dead in the snow by his side and he was
drenched with its blood, as well as his
own. Fleming dragged himself home
with great difficulty, and his injuries
will house him up again for long
time. The bear he escaped from in No
vember weighed $50 pounds, and the
one he survived Thursday last was
nearly as heavy. 1t had claws over
three inches long.