St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-23
MESMERIzING A BEAR.
Old Steene, the Hunter, Has
Some Queer Theories About
Tanning Animals.
They Worked All Night on a
a Bear, but Failed When
Tried With
a Mountain LiOn--The Beast
Savagely Attacked the
Hunter.
Steene Lost His Scalp in the
Fight, but Killed the
Lion.

World. Old Steene had been up in the
CANYON having fight with Rocky
Mountain lion. Steene said he got the
worst of it and he looked as if he had.
Steene has a theory in regard to wild
or savage animals which he has been
preaching for long time, but when he
came to put it into practice on Rocky
Mountain lion it would not, WORK.
Steene's theory is that all you have to
do is to do as the animal does until
you catch the brute's eye ana
then you are all right and can tame
dogs, lions, tigers and bears. The Old
man has good eye and it is a fact that
he has stared two or three savage dogs
out of countenance and made them put
their tails between their legs and sneak
off. This encouraged him to believe
that he could cow all animals. He told
the boys not long ago most improbable
story about himself and a grizzly bear.
Barney says it is a romance, but Steene
sticks to it as the truth.
"You see, fellows, he said, sit was
lust this way. / was up in the canyon
in berry time, and the bears were pretty
thick. for the wild plums were ripe. |
was a-huntin' bear and never thlnkln,
of my theory, for l was there to Kill. L
had been out all day and hadn't seen a
bear, though there were lots of fresh
tracks. 1t was nearly evening, and
had given up all hope OF tndln any
thing, and thought | would just gather
a few wild plums and then go home. |
Sot nv gun down against a tree and
went into the thicket, and had been
there about five minutes when | heard a
little noise, and, looking around, there
stood one of the biggest grizzlies you
ever see. He was right between me
and the gun, and l seed 1t wasn't no
use to try to reach it. He just looked at
me and Winked, as much as to say, No,
yo don't, old fellow Eff there's any
shootin' to be done I'll do it myself.
Then he laughed little.
Come. come," said Barney, "a bear
can't laugh"
yes, they cam" said Steene; "least-
wise that bear laughed, for seed him,
and a horse laughs. Never see horse
laugh when you give him corn? Hey,
Go on with your story about the
bear" said Barney, sulkily,
"Well. that bear laughed little but
I didn't. and | felt mighty ticklish. l
had my big butcher, but I'm a-gittin' old
and | don't care to fight bears any more
with a butcher knife only. When L was
younger once down on the Big Arkan-
saw river
Hold up" cried Proctor, "we have
heard that ArkanSaw river story five
times before this. Go on with your story
of the bear in the canyon"
''AXing your pardon for your lmppl-
dence, young man." said old Steene,
looking very hard at Proctor, IL said
that bear laughed and [ didn't, but his
laugh reminded me of my theory and L
determined to put it into practice and 90
Just as the bear did. Wall, he looked at
me and looked at him. Then the bear
riz uD on his hind legs and did the
same"
GLOW did you do that" queried Bar
ney, "when you have only two legs?,
''DOn't ask foolish questions" replied
the old man angrily. Il riz on my toes
so. and threw up my hands so, jist as if
| was held up by highWayman."
"And l guess you was" chuckled
Barney. o
"Durn you, won't you lie sUill?
Whose a-tellin' this story, you or me?''
cried the old man. ''Ill chuck you in
the law if you interrupt me again,
young fellow" Thus admonished, Bar
ney kept still and Steene went on.
''Well, the bear shutf1ed first to the
right, sasheed, as we say at the balls
then he sasheed to the left. When he
sasheed to the right | did the same, and
when he sasheed to the left, so did |.
Then he stood still and laughed. Tell
me bear don't laugh. Why, that griz-
funny to him. But | didn't laugh nor L
didn't feel bit funny nuther.
''Byme by the bear went little back
and | did the same. Then he came for
ward and back again and so did l.
After we had couple of forwards and
backs he sasheed to the right and so did
!. | never seed a bear like to dance SO
well as that one did in all my born days.
But all the time he was a gettln' closer
and closer. | tried to catch his eye,
but couldn't, he kept up such an in
fernal dodgin' about and dancin'. l got
out my big butcher and took firm holt
onto it. fearing he meant mischief, and
I'd have to let him have it. Pretty soon
we got up side by side almost and the
bear looked at me and l looked at the
bear. l caught his eye and he quailed:
Then he sort O. reached over his head
sideways and smelled OF my, oyeralls
and went 'whew,' and / reached over
and smeIled of him and went 'Whew,'
and dOggoned my buttons if that bear
didn't drop down on all fourS and run
like blaZeS."
''What do you suppose made him
run?" asked Barney.
MY eye. of course" said Steene; che
was coWed."
.sNo, it wasn't your eye," growled
Barney: lit was the smell of your over
alls, and 10 wonder the bear ran. Sit
back from the stove, Steene."
There was amotion as if the old noun
taineer would brain the young man with
his chair, but Proctor restrained him
until Barney got safe out of the way,
and then told him it was all meant in
fun.
"Well, boys, fun's fun said the old
man: '.but | don't like that yOungster,
and he'd better keep out of my way;
he's too fresh for me by doggoned
sight"
This was Steene's story about the bear,
and although nobody ever believed it,
the old man had told it so often l guess
he had come to believe it himself and
had great confidence in his theory and
his eye.
Not long since Steene was up in the
canyon looking for some strayed cattle
when he suddenly came upon Rocky
mountain lion. Steene had his big
butcher and his navy revolver with him,
but lie had left his rifle at home. 1t was
not very big mountain lion, perhaps a
year old, and Steene determined 10 tame
him. Dismounting from his horse, he
tied him to tree, and then advanced
upon the lion, which was lying on a
shelving rock summing himself. At
Steene's approach the animal rose up
and began to lash his sides furlously
with his tail. Atthis, old Steene stopped
and began to lash his sides with his
arms. He tapped them about vigor-
Ously, and the lion stopped and looked
at him. Then the lion paved at
the earth. The lion paused again and
looked in establishment at Steene. Evil
IDENTITY he lad never seen so curious a
man in all his short life. The lion cir
cled around on his rock and old Steene
circled around Oh the prairie; then the
lion walked up and down and old
Steene did the same. The beast
S......a..e.I e.. q ca,.i.,n and old Steene