The Red Cloud chief., 1888-10-19

hoieu up e before the snow fcll
and there were no tracks around IN
tree. We never could get the Dutch
man to smoke out any moro cOous ate
that. .f
"Many years ago a wonderfully iarg
bear had his home among tho thicl
scrub oaks between Tobyhsnna AM
StaufYer's mills. II was impossible ~
any body ~ get nj him or " got a sho
Mt him when he stayed among the oak,
He had killed q number Of dogs tina
were foolish enough to tackle him. AN,
he hal luggcd many . sheep and pi,
Into his hiding place. Two or tire,
hunters had got glimpses Of his head
and they told mo that no WAS ~ oil,
that he had begun 70 get gray nroun,
tho chops. They said that he WAS IN,
biggest. oldest. isavNgsst and cunning
est bear that asy body had q soe,
In that part Of the Pocono region. n,
had torn his foot out Of one trap. anC
after TINT they knew his track whcr
they saw II In tho snow, but the,
couldn't got the old fellow to Jump Int,
u trap again.
IL had henrd 80 much about the grn,
old boar and the mischief he had done,
that along In Decembcr ! concluded "a
spend u weok trying IN trap him, and
IN give him up as too tough md cunning
for mo II ] didn't succeed In catching
him ut the end Of that time. So on d
Monday morning ] Ind one Of my boy.
drive mo To the place In n sleigh.
took two Of my boat traps along and Il
LOT Of fresh meat for bait. Ind my
rifle and a good sharp Ratchet. too, aud
after had looked over n part Of the
rugged region IN which the old gray
bear was supposed TO be In hiding.
made up my mind that u trap set In a
certain hollow near one ~ his runways
would bc pretty apt to catch him.
81 knew he hadn't holcd up for the
winter. because found some Of his
tracks. and because he had stolen n
sheep from I.y Sander Bushnell only u
day " two before. 80 I set One N the
traps In tho hollow I spoke about,
building mp u little higher fence than
usual around II, and fastening the trap
70 u good.sizcd log that I knew he
couldn't lug away very fast. Then
hung the bait up about ak ieet frOm
the trap and left II. Tho other trap I
set In the same way In another hollow
fifty rods tn the southeast. hitching tho
chain around n stone that would weigh
In the ueighborhood Of thirty pounds.
Three mornings ] went and looked ut
the traps, and each time I found them
just rs ! had left them. and ] bcgnn To
think that my week would be fooled
away.
But on Friday morning I found that
the old bear had been around. for, By
the life. when ! got in sight Of the first
trap ! saw that tho bait had been re-
moved. while tho trap hadn't been
touched Looking closer. ! saw that u
bear had leaped clear over tho ienc.
and trap. hooked tho butt. mud then
pushed the fence down near whcrc tho
bait had hung and moggcd on. That
was u mighty cunning trick. I Thought.
and I began TO believe that all tho
stories ! had heard about the old gruy
bears c~arryings.on In the scrub oaks
were IN true ~ preaching. judged
by the leap he Ind made that he was a
long.lcygcd and long.bodied old rascal.
and ] gave up all hope Of ever getting
him. Then ! sprung tho trap and put
II on u stump. aud after that ! started
for the place where I had set the other
trap.
"What do you suppose I found when
] got there' Well. by the life. I found
that the bait was hanging just as l had
put It, hut the trap wasn't thcre. and
then ] knew that there was some fun
ahead. had caught u boar. ~ suro
NJ the world. but whcthor II was the
old gray ono ~ not ] had yet TO lind
out Tho tracks In the snow wore those
Of u large fellow. and this fact lcd mo
70 hope that | had trapped the gray
jawed n that NO many men had tried
To kill. Tho stone NJ tho end OF the
chain had plOwed u furrow In tho snow,
but I was afraid that II was not heavy
enough to keep tho bear from getting
y % far away that ! could not catch up
with him.
However. I made the host time
could through the scrub oak. stopping
every little while to listen. and ut l.s,
] heard tho chain rattle. Before | had
got sight Of the bear. he had got u snia
Oe mo. and the way he took on WAS mu.
aiC 10 mo, though II would have fright
sned people who were not used to such
roaring and tearing. l even saw that
the stone had got caught, and that tho
bear had been trying ~ loosen II with
his paws, and then I got sight Of his
head between the bushes and fired III
II. There WAS y great thrMhing
around for u moment. and when things
got still ! advanced aud found thnt the
identical old gray scamp that | had
boon after lay there IN dead ~ u hatch.
OF. ] got three non 10 holp mo dras
him out. and he WAS the biggest bear |
ever heard Of being caught In the POGO.
mos. for no weighed 5o7 pounds ex,
actly."
ibid you ever tackle any cata'
m~Ountse"
THAT reminds me Ot something
meant to toll YOU the other time yov
were hero" said Uncle Jacob. ''and
will tell II before | forget II. A good
many people think that u catamoun,