Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1888-01-31
Hunting Brown Bears.

u. and the besr. The spur brought u'
to within halfa mile Of the spo, where
We expected to find them still busy hunt
ins for grub.. when we pesped around =
rock and found ;h.t the bears bad been
frightened ~ .omsthihg beyond them,
and were making tracks down our way
ln.s.d Il two. there were four. I, VAS
regular f.nily-Old Bph. bis ,qaA-.
and pair q cubs. The cubs looked
about ,ir month, old. aud the bears were
euf'ing and hu,,lins them along ~ they
usually 10 ~iih their cubs when
alarmed.
T~o of the Engli.hmen l,, drive a. an
old bear spiees the other one and ! ,oos
the cubs. One of the cubs ,opplsd over.
ela~td around .ome, aud hnslly rolI d
down the bank ihto the creek. dead az .
m,e.er,l; bu, the other three went
'e.mpsiiag OF up the esnon az lively I.
five bad been loaded With blank car.
ihdg,' We cent another ,cll'y after
them in .hor, order. bu, /, diin't'ssm to
have .by mors ,f,c, on thsm th,n the
%, her. 90 We gave chase.
Pretty 'oon the canon narrowed TO I.
rocky gorge With The rough banks ,lop.
ins down pretty steep iaio The -aisr.
The ~aisr "a. shallow. aud the bears
bad w.dsd over TO the other eide. and
were tying 10 give q. the Zip by el.mb
sring Up among the pUeiPl,ou' roeo
The she bcsr and the cub were already
out Of sight. but Old EPn bad halted
about three huadred yard. away to lick
himself where the bullet from our first
hrs bad plo-ed through b, carcass.
III, va. 'qa.,iins on q n.uo- edge and
~. evidently pretty badly biz. .eeing
that be didn't scare az .eeing ", running
up. lie made f.in,h .ho, from -hsfe
-e stood. and oas Of ths Rasi'hm'n
took deliberate aim al lin Add hr'd
The bulls, plansei 'qlaie into hi',,om.
.eh. and tie bear plunged around 9TH
such blind fury ,h., he ended by ioPPIng
OF the ledge snd i.king sliding iamols
~ .boa, itii,y feet.
A elumpof mountain aldsr' bfoashi
him toA .iAnd,,ill for minute. and a.
he dldn', seem aay the wor.e fJf hi,tun
Die. and looked likely TO bolt, We bl.Isd
.~ay =, him .ll together
TIL. vollsy simply appeared 70 wass
him up 20 sense u ht, d,ngef 10.
stead of dropping ds.i. he palIsi h,m'-lf
together Aad .eaiilsl nimoly aefjr the
loj.s trail u a f1cksIiis .ad d.',pp'ar.
"a Ia p5cks, oveisrssn With BABY llai.
per. hllo-sd by another ,olley. TIE
pjckst va, merely ll;tls hlf's'h3s IN
the side of ths steep r,csy bahs. nd
evidently bad 40 Other outlet than ne
one Ia front The b,,r h,d gone la
there TO l,s down aai l,eS hi' s5lni'.
which were gilins pretty numeioa'
Crossing the creek. ~e elambcied up
10 tie slamp u .ldsi' sad follosed hl'
trail along ,o-,rd the mouth oi,te Pock-
-. We wsf, ,ianding Aboa, t~tniy
pace. from the litls jiniPsr ,hless,. peer.
lng Ia 20 see Il &C could make out hi'
loc.iion. vhsn. With = husky shot.
be came charging hssdlons out.
B,ns b,ng wen, t~o Winche''
isr,. ani over And over ,gmblsd Od EPh.
biuas. .na'lins and roaring. mad With
rage sud badly woaadsd, bat srlI long
-.y from beins e1nqlsrsd. The third
Easli,hm,n nov took steady aim and
fired. but ,,ll the be.r iumblsd aud blt
aud roArrd Three more good shot.
we're fred a, les, than t~sn,y yards. aud
then Old R2h se,u.lly ,,sadlsd himself
for . charge. but. eh,nsing hr. miad. be
turasd tail and hustled back in,o the
cover Of the ,hieks,
We fred ,h)i o'i~o iato the ,hieket
10 eo.s The bear 10 charge u, Agaln. but
i, -oaldn'I work. then climbed around
over the rock, - the rish, sai reached =
poin, overlooking ths pocket. to see II |
could make hin out. rhs back part ot
the poke, va, .lmo,, bare Of brush, ani
iishl back there t-en,y feet bil1s whsfe
| stood. sat Old Eph licking the blood az
i, oorsd from bs ragged wound.
Ia the back part Of the pocket W. {,
10, Of dried sr... aud dead brush. This
| ealeal,,sd to 'e, fire to by ,hrowing q
~hi,p Of burning grs., dosn from where
stood when ihre~ the rVch. The
IRE In the rear Of the pocket, reck,ned.
would drive old Eph. out to ,h- ffont and
give the Bnii.her another eh,nee 10
bo~l him ossr Taking bunch Of dry
grass. | el.mbered up .ssln. and pro-
cesdsd to Sc, i; On FIRE. bat. while stop.
ing down on, Of the wind on the narrow
foo,hold to light match, the piece OF
rock vas standing on gave way. snd
down ven, into the pocket! | h.'e
been in .s,,r.l lightly tisht places in m,
time. ba, don't mind osning up 70
fseling badly scared when picked my.
.slf up aud realized my position. True.
| had a Colt. navy and bo~ie. bat
from late experiences With old Eph, 4;
looked a. u I might i.t 80 well have
been armed with pea shooter Every
moment expected TO hear his hol,s
"-hcor' and ,p see him come da'hing
..vsgvly ol, Of the brush, hos almost
.i,hll arms reach.
| Fortunately. | h.d plenty Of matches
ia my pocket. .td IN jidy | bad Sc,
Ere to the srs.. and 10, bshlId the h,mes
The fire worked sell. .nd IN couple OF
minute. went bl.zing and cracking int
the thieksi. A noise that slunded lake
the ~hinnying u badly scared cub a..
useied my A,tshtion. and then | heard
The crack Of the Winehs.,er., and shortly
after second volley.
When the fire 20, 10 goins, And when
hsaid the ~hinnying, out dashed nOi
only Old Eph. bat the .he bear snd the
cub .l.o. While old Rph had besn .ho-.
ins fight they h.d been lying l,w Ia The
,hieks,, of the brush waiting to see What
sould turn up.
Old EPh charged on, upon the Ensli'h-
men. aud. as they emp,ied their Win
ehesiers Into bin. the .quaw aud the cub
.eut,led sharply round to the right. and
vent tslier.skslier dosn the bank snd
out Of sight. The volley knocked the
old bear over. bu, he rallied again ans
/ -. .,nsk., :. 90 an, az 20 rh.,ua IL -,