Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-16

tapping his red jaws with his tongue.
held out his black arms invitingly
toward Davis, who responded to the un-
pleasant invitation by drawing a small
pocket pistol that he carried, and TAX
ing as deliberate aim as possible under
the circumstances, fired a shot into the
bears MOUTH
RACE o LIFE.
The bear seemed surprised for an in
stanta at Davis audacity, and then made
a lunge for him. Davis retreated pre-
cipitately and, with a wild hope of
manning or disabling the bear in some
manner, fired the five remaining balls
in his pistol at him in rapid succession,
but there was no evidence that the bull
lets did any more harm than stir the
bear up to a frenzy and the next minute
the hatless merchant was flying down
the mountain path with the bear in hot
pursuit. 1t was about an even race for
the first half mile; at that distance
Davis wind began to play out, and the
bear was slowly closing the gap between
them.
Davis saw that his ability as q runner
would never save him from the bear
INV ilS DCSdl W lODh lOT OIlltF menus OF
escape. A few rods ahead OF him, near
the path, stood II redwood tree. The
lowest branches were several feet
above his reach, but he concluded that
he had better try and reach them while
he had strength left to draw himself up.
The bear was rapidly closing in on him.
He could hear the frenzied beast pant
as he came Looping down the path. The
tree was reached at last, and with
wildly beating heart Davis threw his
arms around the trunk and started to
pull himself up to the branches above
his head. He was too late. Just as he
thought he was beyond the reach Of the
bear he felt the animals claws in the
calf of his leg. and the next moment he
was dragged to the ground.
IN THE BEARS EMBRACE.
Though painfully wounded by the
bears claws, Davis retained his pres
ence OF mind, and as he fell drew a long
hunting knife hat he carried in his
belt. The bear caught Davis between
his fore legs with the evident inten-
ton of MASKING his bones so that he
could swallow them easier, but the
gritty merchant brought his knife into
play and sent it hilt-deep into the ami
mails side. The pain caused the Dear to
loosen his legs for an instanta and quickly
dropping OuI from W Incll
Davis started down the path at IA rate
of speed born only Of fear. In q moment
the bear was after HIM, roaring with
pain. A short distance down the path
Davis spied an old live oak tree under
which was Il large rock. From the top
of this rock the lower branches of the
tree were within easy reach, and for
this he made like a deer. He reached
it, and swung himself up into the
branches just ahead of the BEARS nose.
Bruin evidently had noidea OF abandon
ing the chase, but squatted down on the
rock and sharply eyed the man in the
branches above him. Davis leg was
bleeding badly, and with his handker-
chief and shreds torn from the lining of
his coat he bandaged the wound and
made himself as comfortable as possible.
He was safe SO far as the bear was
concerned, but the prospect Of sitting
in tho top Of a tree with nothing TO eat
or drink until the peal below him
should choose to raise the seige, was
anything but pleasant. But there was
no alternative, for his black-coated
taller never for q moment took his eyes
of him.
The camp was two miles away, and
Davis knew that it would be impossible
for him TO make his voice heard hat
distance, but ne lid not doubt that his
companions would sooner or later Won
der at his absence and institute a search
for him, consequently the ultimate re-
suit OF his encounter with the bear