Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-10-29
Chased bv an Angry Bear.

Last Monday Hiram Cobb, of Coolbsugh
township, Pa set steel bear trap in
thicket Of scrub oaks near Birch Run, three
miles west of Stanffor's Mills On Tuesday
morning Gibson Cobb, the trapper's II year
old son, told bis father he guessed ne would
take stroll over to Birch Run and zee
whether bear had got caught in the trap
during the night, and Mr., Cobb told
Gibson that il he intended to 90 near the
trap ne had better take the rife along.
The lad said be didn't like TO lug gun so
far, and off be started without it, telling
his father that he would stop at Charley
Holmes's on the way and borrow a gun.
Young Cobb changed his mind before be had
gone far, aud, ins,esd of going near Holmes's
place, he took o sbort cut up Nettle Hill,
and across thu plateau t the spot where the
trap mad been set There was no bear in
the trap, and the hoy after noticing that the
beef head, with which the trap had been
baited, vas just as his father had placed 1t,
started for home. Oa the hillside overlook
ing Birch Run he sat doWn on rock to
rest, and while he sat there be saw q bear
waddle out of the bushes, only few yards
from where the trap was set The bear
walked down to the brook and took drink,
aud young Cobb said he was then sorry that
he hadn't taken the rifle along, for he
might have shot the bear easy enough while
it was slakipg Its thirst.
Then the bear turned about, sat upon its
haunches for two or three minutes, moved
ts head as ifit had got wind of the beef head
and made for the thicket where the trap
was concealed. The BEARS movements e1.
cited the boy, and, according to his own
8 atement, he felt 80 sure that the bear
would get caught right away that he ran
down to the creek, hid behind log, and
time before be heard the bear believing and
thrashing in the scrub oaks, and this, he
said, excited him 80 much more than the
frat eight of the bear that he forgot all
about danger.
He hunted around for big stone to throw
at the bears head, but before he ran across
one that suited him the bear came flying out
of the thcket with the trap fast to its left
fore foot Just then the drag on the strap
caught in root and jerked the bear back.
and the fearless lad grabbed up round
stone and hit the bear on the head This
made the brute furious, and it made lunge
for young Cobb, tore its foot loose from the
trap, and came within foot of striking him
down. The boy saw that he was in great
danger of being killed, and he took to his
legs, with the maddened bear close upon
him. The bear chased him for quarter of
mile, roaring at evsry step, but its bleed.
ing paw kept it from running as fast as the
flset footed youth. All at once young Cobb
heard a rifle crack, and, on looking over his
shoulder, he saw the bear fall and tumble
end over end down the hillside. Then he
stopped.
The rife that made the noise was fred by
Mr.. Cobb, who had sent bullet through
the bears lungs and killed it. Fearing that
his son might get into trouble, Mr.. Cobb had
started for The locality in less than an hour
after Gibson had left the house. and he had
appeared on the scene in time to hear the
boy call for help. The bear was female
and weighed 314 pounds.