Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-01-18
BRUIN HAD HER TREED.
How Three Bears Broke Up-Uncle
Jimmy Spencers Camp.

A correspondent writes to the St Louis
Post Dispatch from Cranberry River, W.
Va: Uncle Jimmy Spencer, the bear
hunter of PowelIs mountain, has had al
most seventy years experience as hunter
and trIpper in the forests and along the
streams of the Aileghany Mountains in VIr-
ginia and West Virginia, and still is
straight as an arrow and as hardy as one of
the mighty oaks under whose branches he
has slain hundreds of wild animals, and
whose leafy umbrage has sheltered him
from the storms of winter and heat of sum
mer. a short time since / stopped few
lays with Uncle Jimmy, and as heavy rains
had made il almost impossible to travel or
go out of doors, we passed most of the
time around a pleasant fire, with the old
hunter telling stories of his experiences
and your correspondent listening and max
ing mental notes OF many Of the most inter-
esting. One story which he told of his early
married life struck me as particularly
unique and interesting and will give it to
the public Just as | got it from the lips of
the old man himself:
ut was away back in the 40's when these
wc3ds were alive with the finest game in
theiworld. that l settled down at tins spot,
My wife and had onlybcen married about a
able spot on which 10 build our home. 1t is
true have always been hunter, but then
always had a hankerIng for home-some
place where could depend upon comforta-
bic shelter and resting place during the
warm weather when there was no hunting
TO be done, and the cold blasts of winter.
Wen, we had selected this spot, after some
months search, and had removed all of our
earthly possessions, which consisted of a
bed and bedstead, a few kitchen utensils,
and three or four chairs 20 this valley
There was not stove within twenty miles.
and for that matter there are not many
closer than that to-day. AS soon as we got
here unhitched the horses under a tree
and tied them up, and while my wife was
cooking our dinner / went to work cutting
down trees for the house. BY the evening
Of the second day l had logs enough cut into
lengths to make a small one-rocmed log
cabin as a starter. The next morning l
started out on a short hunt for some fresh
meat, thinking / would be able 70 get a
deer in the course Of an hour, but
somehow the deer seemed mighty
wild, and did not get shot until about
two hours after 1 left camp, when knocked
over fine doe. As soon as possible l was
on my way back with the deer swung over
my shoulder. l went swinging along until
got within two or three hundred yards Of
camp, when l heard some one screaming
and calling for me. / listened Just long
enough TO 1nd ont that the yelling came
from the camp. when / dropped the doe
aud broke into run. 1t didn't take me
long TO reach il, l tell YOU. and what do you
thing foundl IL was cOmical sight, and
IL I hndn't been AFRAID something serious
might happen / would have had TO lay down
.
enough. and there were two big black
bears, but where was my wifei The bears
were upsettIng every thing and polxing
Cheir noses into every corner Of the wagon.
A 6edquilt would be tossed up iuto the air
by their paws and IL wOald fall over the
head OF oae or other of ,he animals, which
would scramble and scratch to get out.
while the other one seemed to enjoy the
fun. Then basket was knocked out of the
wagon and went rolling OF a few feet with
a black rascal after il. Just about this
time | saw something up ii the tree close
by the wagon. which looked very much like
a badly-scarcd woman. / didn't have to
look second time, for the object gave a
shril scream and called for me to come and
relieve her. called back to her to keep
cool. as | was coming
Hurry up, jim; there's big bear climb
llkR bnG bfGE. Snc FClleu.
''Sure enough, just then saw the big
black head of a tremendous bear Just
rising above the limb away out ON which
my wife was sitting / got good bead on
the fellow and shot him through the head.
and down he tumbled. He wasn't killed.
but he was so badly hrrt saw he couldn't
get away. so / turned my attention to the
others. There were no breech-lOaders in
those days.and / had to reload my gun, which
II didn't take me long 20 do. When had
rammed home the ball and primed the gun
took ain at one Of the two on the ground
and let him have it I must have been
little excited, guess. for only succeeded
i'm shooting Ell the end of his nose. The
fellow gave Q roar of rage and pain and
came gsl.oping right at me. didn't have
time to reload. and barely time to swing my
gun up over my shoulder whsn the bear
rise right UP n front OF me. Whactzi 1 tcck
him on the head and knocked him down on
all fours. but he was up and at me again.
struck me on the side belt which almost
Knocked the wind out of me. Just then
Csrsar, my dog, which must have been ont
hunting On his own hook, came running
through the brush with yell and caught
the bear BY the hind leg This saved me
from being killed, perhaps, for il gave me
minutes time-just enough to throw in .
c.iarge of powder and to drop in q wet bull
let without wadding threw open
the pan, dropped = few grains Of powder
iuto IL and brought the gan q