The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-02-02

MOOD OF ArrOW ana hOlI cTechs, Suls
that more bears have been seen this
year than for ten years past, and that
quite number of cattle have been
killed by them of late. A few months
ago, at Mullery's ranch, near Gorham,
big silver tip came down out of the
mountains one night invaded the hog
pasture Of that industrious ranchman,
and in very short time laid out no
less than thirty fine porkers. The hogs
squealed. made great fuss, of course,
and as long as there was ashow of resist
ance the bearnever stopped boxing their
ears. One blow of his mighty paw was
enough TO kill hog, and there is no
telling where he would have stopped
had he not been interrupted in this
pleasant pastime.
The grayback of the Rockies is rather
different brute from his cousin OF the
Adirondack and tho Pennsylvania
hills. Perhaps the Eastern members
of this interesting family never weigh
more than four hundred or five hun
dred pounds, but out this way many of
| the grizzlies and silver tips caught
have touched the beam Mt one thousand
and twelve hundred pounds and even
greater. Mr.. Charles Soper, Of Boze-
man, thriving city short distance
west of mere. is said TO have shot one OF
the largest graybacks ever seen in the
West The hide was something tire
mendous. The beast having been
killed late in the fall, at time when
he was plentifully supplied with boar $
grease" it would not be wide of the
mark to estimate his weight when alive
at sixteen hundred pounds. Certainly
the enormous hide justified these fig
ures, and the claws and head preserved
would Justly entitle him to the credit
of being the father of the family.
As proof of the wisdom of the old
hunters warning about "going in arter
bear alone" the following narrative
will best illustrate lis truthfulness:
"a party of gold hunters started out
from Deadwood some years ago to
prospect the country to the north and
west of that mining camp. The men
in the party were old timers, with
one or two exceptions, and among the
latter was Swede, full of grit, who
stood nearly seven feet in his stockings.
The Swede, however, whose family
name was Franck. was by no means a
tenderfoot.' having dwelt some time in
the Leadville mining camps and boosted
that he had killed bar in his day. and
was afraid of no four-footed critter
that roamed the mountains The
party of twelve were climbing steep
mountain, darkness was coming on,
and prospects of supperless night were
in view, when the seven-foot Scandina-
Wan volunteered to push on ahead in
the hopes of securing an elk, deer, or
mountain sheep. The foreigner was a
good shot with his rifle, had plenty Of
( grit and courage, and his immense
strength and powerful physique rem
dered it extremely improbable that he
would find his match in the timber
ahead. The hunter disappeared, and
the Others toiled on behind, climbing
the steep ascent YEARLY and footsore.
J At one place the road wound around q
steep precipice, the sheer descent of the
cut basaltic walls on the left being
l something like thousand feet. Fal
: below the tops of giant pines could bt
} discerned, but in the awful depth they
| appeared like stunted shrubs ant
7 bushes. Near the summit and to thu
: right the free land broadened OF
: widened out. and this was covered
' with dense growth of willows ant
t stunted pines. from which proceeded
r the most awful grumblings and howl
S imaginable. just as the party appeared
on the top all at once out from thu
| stubble came retreating the big Swede
e followed by an enormous silver tip
: who was driving him slowly backward
t toward the edge of the precipice. Thu
o man was bleeding badly. nearly all o
J, one side of his face being torn away
: the result of a wicked blow from til,
: huge paw of the vicious monster. TIL,
/, bear, on the other hand, was quite a
2 badly wounded as his antagonist. Hi
n head was a mass of gore, the lower jaw
n was simply hanging by a few shreds
a and one of his hind legs wa
Y broken. The Swede was backing slow
t ly, holding in his right hand a larg
Q hunting knife, which every second h
d would plunge TO the hilt in the shoulde
n of his shaggy foe. AT one thrust of tn
it Swede the bear caught him fairly wit
: return whack of his monstrous pa,
s that must have broken the mans arm
d for he quickly transferred the blade t
d his left hand, and gave back blow 70
If blow as best he could. The denoue
h ment came so suddenly that the horror
h stricken comrades could render no pos
s. sible assistance. Even had they starte
IS on run, they could not have reache
n their friend in time, and to risk she
n with rifle would have been just q
le dangerous to the Swede as to the beal
1t Step by step the man was forced bacl
until he hung almost upon the edge {
r the precipice. There seemed no hop
5. for him unless he could assume the al
in gressive in turn, and this could not |
= done, as the man was doing his utmos
+. and still the silver tip was getting IL
rs better of the fight All at once the de
W perate animal raised his huge paw an
s, brought it down with a terrific fore
S, upon the head of the man. The sea-
to was torn away by this last stroke an
ell the poor fellow was blinded by his ow
es blood. Again the bear struck hir
j. and the Swede tottered on the blir
d. with nothing in reach to lay his han'
ne ON by which he might save himsel
IL Evidently with the desperation of dea
ie staring him in the face Franck did h