The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-01
RIDING A WILD BEAR.

ago he went hunting In Rice Creek Swamp,
After half days unsueoossful hunt he rat
down to eat his lunch Soon q rustline
near ~ attracted his attention, but before
he could move q Inonstrous she bear, &C
companied by two Young cubs. came out
into tho. opening where he was, and not
over dozen rods from him. SeizinR his
rifle, without stopping to think, he shot At
the mother, but, in his haste, did not get a
good aim, and only INFLICTED desh wound,
serving to irritate her ID ssl point Of mad
ness, says HOLSTER, Fla, correspondent
Of the Globe Democrat.
His shot was answered by growl that
made his hair stand on end, and through
the smoke he saw the big bear come tearing
at him. Throwing down his gun,
the hunter jumped for the over
hanging limbs of the water oak
under which he sat, and drew himself up
into safety, just as the old bear came furi-
ously charging up. Seeing that he was out
of her reach at present, she stood roaring
furiously at him for few minutes, and
then, calling her cubs, sat down and coolly
began eating up the remnants of his meal.
The situation was comical. Overhead in
the oak, some twenty feet in the air, sat
Morstly,. looking angrily at the family
group that was so contentedly making
away with his lunch. His gun lay on the
chance to secure it at present. Suddenly
he bethought himself Of his hunting knife,
and drawing it from his pocket, he cut off a
long limb from the tree, and then, with
some cord which he found in his pocket,
firmly bound the knife to the end. He
then had a spear in fashion, though not q
very formidable one.
Descending the tree to the lower limbs,
which brought him near the 'shappy fam
lily" he poised his spear and lunged at
bruin. His aim was good, but he put too
much force in the blow and he accompanied
weapon sticking into the bears back, while
Norstly fell with a thud over bruins head.
The bears started up with growls loud and
deep Of alright and surprise, and, for a
moment, the circus was unseen for the
dust. Morstly recovered himself first and
With Wit! 4 Jump, sPranG up, trying 70 get back
jumped, but, the cubs getting in her way,
she missed him. and BY some mischance
iMorstly landed right on the old bears
back.
Bruin gave loud Whit of surprise,
fright and rage at this, and, for second.
the opportunity and instinctively caught
hold of his knife spear that remained
sticking in the brute's back, and
gave bruin another dig. This de-
cided the matter, and the old bear with
4 loud growl started of in a gallop into
seat. but he olung to her long, shaggy hair
with one hand, while he piled the knife
with the other. The novel ride continued
for several minutes though hours to
Morstly-and he began to feel the effects of
his terrible jogging.
Finally bruin ran under small tree, the
low branches of which struck Morstly,
knocking him off. Bruin stopped as she
felt her rider drop, and, turning quickly.
made at him with wide open jaws, her fe-
rocity aroused to its higher point by her
cubs peril. Morstly retained the knife as
he fell. and, as he struggled to his feet, he
clutohed it in both hands. As the bear
came up he lunged forward, and by rare
good luck stuck the knife point in Bruins
right eye. She stopped as she felt the knife
blade, and calling her cubs to her side, she
backed of for second. Morstly thought
she was going to quit, but in this he was
Placing her cubs under tree short dis
tance OF, the old mother bear came back
growing loudly and Aercely, the blood
streaming from her wounds, making her
look wicked ana dangerous. Morstly be-
gan to think that his time had come, but he
determined to fight we'll. Holding his knife
spear we'll in front of him, he waited until
the bear had approached to within six feet
of him, when he plunged forward his novel
weapon striking bruin in the open mouth,
the knife going way into her throat. A hol-
of blood showed that bruin was badly hurt.
Mcrstly pushed and jabbed with his spear,
putting his full force on the stout handle
and the old bear howled with pain and
rage. She made furious attempts to get at
him, springing forward and sideways, but
the stout spear handle held, and Morstly,
memo HnIN "a s.: n
place. This continued for several
moments, and finally bruin showed
signs of weakness. Her loss of blood
was great, and her bowls were changing to
cries Of distress. Slowly she backed off,
trying to get the spear-head out of her
far down that she could not we'll bite. In a
few moments, much to Morstly's surprise
and relief, she sank down unable to rise.
Rasping and moaning. The cubs crept up
to her, and as they did so she made an e1-
ira effort to rise, throwing her head side
shaft close to the knife handle. But it was
her dying effort, and she fell back licking
was dead.
Morstly killed one Of the cubs and
brought the other one home. Upon exam
nation he found that the wound first made
wnen ne threw the novel spear was bad
pne, and had caused bruin heavy loss of
blood: This. with his fortunate cut in her
throat. was the secret of his easy victory.
md ne congratulated himself upon his good
Euck. But he adds that horses are GOOD
Enough for him to ride on, and that he has
20 hankerinR to ride another bear bare
back"
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