St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-10

&>&@&N = = efend his home.
NE&I you gun or any
GN-S y ammunition" l
replied. 20 Il T
good government at Washington VIII
not allow me 10 do So
1.-The former commanding officer
here he said. let my neighbor have a
gun for year"
THAT was all right, but the govern
ment has shut down on it and l can't
let any more guns 90 out
Dear, oh. dear" he said, Il don't
know what l shall do"
What is the matter?" | asked.
"Well, you see" he began, Il live far
up in the mountains, ANA the bears have
got so bad they are killing all our hogs
and cattle. We didn't mind it so much
about the hogs. but only the night be-
fore left big cinnamon came right
into my barnyard and killed the best
cow had
Did you kill hlm?" asked.
No" he said, Il had nothing TO kill
him with, but took the AK and went
out and drove him off. He will Be back,
and that's why l want the gum"
well. old man." 1 replied, Il can't
give you gun, but have got some of
the best bear hunters here you ever
w.
all your bears"
Ny young son. who was home from
college, had been thirSting for bear
fight, and l called him and made the
old fellow relate TO him all about the
bears.
Now. young man. said, ''you nave
been wanting bear fight. and here it
is. Get your horses and wagon and
some fellows to go with you, and go up
and kill off the bears that are troubling
this old man and his neighbOrs." writes
Gen. James S. Brisbin to the st. Louis
POSt-Dispatch from Fort Mckinney.
WyO.
The old farmer looked rather con-
temptuOuSly at the slender youth, but
was pleased to get any assistance he
could.
4 HALF-BREED SCOUT,
Caldwell, noted bear hunter, and the
boy We're ready in half an hour, and
with all sorts of guns, ammunition and
five dogs set off, pilOted by the old man.
1t was ten days before | heard from
them again, and when l did they had
one of the strangest stories l ever heard
to relate.
After leaving YOU" said Caldwell,
1--WE went straight to the old farmers
place. 1t was late the next day when
we got there, and his old wife and the
two boys said the bears had been there
all the night before eating at the COW.
We went out and examined the carcass
and found it about half consumed. The
farmers wife said the bears came about
10 o'clock. and as we had plenty of time
we sat down to supper and then
smoked. When we first came the dogs
were just crazy and wanted to start
right of on the trail. but called them
back. Old Tom and Buck ahd Tiff just
cried: with veXatiOn. but we shut them
up in room, and | had to fog Tom
TO make him behave himself and keep
quiet. At 9 o'clock the moon came up.
and we all got ready. 1t was to be a
square stand-up fight and no quarter.
If we got the worst of it we were to re-
treat to the house and bar the door.
The farmer and his old wife and boys
were much excited, and the boys under
took to watch for the bears and let us
know when they came. They kept run
ming in and out all evening, and it was
nearly IL O'Clock before one of them
said the bears were coming, and he
thought he could see them in the clear
ing beyond the fence. We loaded our
guns and the farmer went out, caution
ing us to wait and he would let us know
when the bears were well at the COW.
He stayed so long we thought the bears
1ldu SOl Hilll. Jul dl lSloO ilc III dlltt
said three bears were eating at the car
cass of the cow. We at once started
Out,agreeing to stand together and fight
as long as we could, and then if charged
retreat to the house.
TWO BEARS KILLED OUTRIGHT.
1.-THE bears were so busy snarling and
fighting over the beef they did not no
tice us at all. There was good NOON
light and we could see distinctly. They
were the largest kind of grizzlies, and
one fellow was monster. Creeping up
behind fence, l said, Now, boys, take
them in order from right to left Frank
had the right, the boy the center and |
the LETT, SO | got the big bear. Ready,
whispered, Aim! Fire. There was
crash of the three guns all together,
ayell of pain at the carcass, and then
we just poured it into the bears,
each one loading and firing as
fast as he could. At first they
were confused and did not know
where the bullets came from, but pretty
soon the old fellow located US and made
right for the fence. One of the bears
fellby the COW and another made off,
but that old fellow just came for us. We
ran for the house and got in and closed
the door. | could see the old bear was
lame and acted as if one of his forelegs
house three or four times and then
made off for the mountain. l thought it
was now time to let the dogs in, and |
turned them all loose but old Tom and
opened the door. You should have
heard old Tom cry when he found he
was TO have no hand in that bear fight.
He tried to break his chain and then his
neck and to hang himself, but at last
he just sat down and looked sick at his
stomach.
The dogs caught the bear before he
had got 800 yards from the house, and
we could hear them fighting. We fol-
lowed up and came as near as possible,
thinking TO get in some shots and help
the dogs out. 1t was as pretty fight
as you ever saw, and over and over they
went. Sometimes the dogs were OH top
and sometimes the bear. Pretty soon l
heard one of the dogs yelp, and knew
from tire way he cried out he had got his
death. 1t was Tip, the big yellow dog,
and he just rolled over and died right
there, his whole side being torn out and
his entrails falling on the ground. The
other dogs stuck to it and held on until
the bear got Buck, the black dog.
in his well paw. Buck cried
out, but it was too late,
for the bear crushed him like an egg
shell. The other dogs then let go, but
kept so close they made the bear sit up
TO defend himself. This was our
chance, and cautioning the boys to fire
high and not hit the dogs, we let into
his majesty with three guns. He
started for us, but those two dogs were
as true as steel, and grabbed him by
both hams as soon as he came down on
all fcurs. They raised him again, and.
seeing he was weakening. we went a
little closer and aimed at his heart. Ii
was sonn over and as he went down on
his side the old farmer just yelled fol
JOY. The dogs wuoied him, but he was
dead, and wien the old farmer came VI