Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-10-18

and there were no tracks around the
tree. We never could get the Dutch
man to smoke out any more coons after
that.
MANY years ago a wonderfully large
bear had his home among the thick
scrub oaks between Tobyhanna and
Stauffer's mills. 1t was impossible for
any body to get at him or to get a shot
at him when he stayed among the oaks.
He had killed a number of dogs that
were foolish enough to tackle him, and
he had logged many sheep and pig
into his hiding place. Two or three
hunters had got glimpses of his head,
and they told me that he was so old
that he had begun to get gray around
the chops. They said that he was the
biggest, Oldest, savagest and cunning
est bear that any body had ever seen
in that part of the Pocono region. He
had torn his foot out of one trap, and
after that they knew his track when
they saw it in the snow, but they
couldn't get the old fellow to Jump into
trap again.
Il had heard so much about the gray
old bear and the mischief he had done,
that along in December / concluded to
spend a week trying to trap him, and
to give him up as too tough and cunning
for me if didn't succeed in catching
him at the end of that time. SO on
Monday morning l had one of my boys
drive me to the place in sleigh. l
took two Of my best traps along and a
lot of fresh meat for bait. | had my
rifle and good sharp Ratchet, too. and,
after had looked over part of the
rugged region in which the old gray
bear was supposed to be in hiding. 1
made up my mind that trap set in a
certain hollow near one of his runways
would be pretty apt to catch him.
Il knew he hadn't holed up for the
winter, because / found some of his
tracks, and because he had stolen a
sheep from Ly Sander Bushnell only a
day or two before. So set one of the
traps in the hollow 1 spoke about,
building up little higher fence than
usual around it, and fastening the trap
to a good-sized log that | knew he
couldn't lug away very fast. Then l
hung the bait up about six feet from
the trap and left it. The other trap L
set in the same way in another hollow
fifty rods to the southeast, hitching the
chain around stone that would weigh
in the neighborhood of thirty pounds.
Three mornings | went and looked at
the traps, and each time found them
just as had left them, and began to
think that my week would be fooled
away.
but on Friday morning found that
the old bear had been around. for, by
the life, when | got in sight of the first
trap | saw that the bait had been re-
moved, while the trap hadn't been
touched Looking closer, saw that a
bear had leaped clear over the fence
and trap, hooked the bait, and then
pushed the fence down near where the
bait had hung and mogged off. That
was a mighty cunning trick, thought,
and | began to believe that all the
stories | had heard about the old gray
bears carryings-on in the scrub oaks
were as true as preaching. judged
by the leap he had made that he was
long-legged and long-bodied old rascal,
and gave up all hope of ever getting
him. Then l sprung the trap and put
it on a stump, and after that started
for the place where | had set the other
trap.
What do you suppose found when
| got there? Well, by the life. found |
that the bait was hanging just as | had |
put it, but the trap wasn't there, and |
then | knew that there was some fun |
ahead. had caught bear, as sure |
rs the world, but whether it was the |
Did gray one or not | had yet to find |
put. The tracks in the snow were those |
Of large fellow, and this fact led me
70 hope that | had trapped the gray
awed one that so many men had tried
20 kill. The stone at the end of the
,hain had plowed furrow in the snow,
)ut | was afraid that it was not heavy
enough to keep the bear from getting
20 far away that l could not catch up
with him.
However, | made the best time /
Gould through the scrub oak, stopping
very little while to listen, and at last
heard the chain rattle. Before | had
rot sight of the bear, he had got sniff
If me, and the way he took on was mu-
ic to me, though it would have fright
ned people who were not used to such
caring and tearing. | even saw that
he stone had got caught, and that the
ear had been trying to loosen it with
is paws, and then got sight of his
cad between the bushes and fired at
!. There was a great thrashing
round for moment. and when things :
OF still advanced and found that the t
IDENTICAL old gray scamp that l had
cen after lay there as dead as hatch |
t. got three men to help me drag
i'm out, and he was the biggest bear l +
yer heard of being caught in the POGO {
los, for he weighed SOY pounds ex- t
city" t
Did you ever tackle any cata- {
f
That reminds me of something l /
leant to tell you the other time you L
ere here said Uncle Jacob. land | T
ill tell it before l forget it. A good
lany people think that a catamount l