Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-01-23
STORIES ABOUT BEARS.

Two boys Have q Lively Experience on
tho Oswegatchie River.
Up on the borders of the Adirondacks
nothing pleases the farmers son so
much as to have winter hold off, so that
he may engage in bear-hunt. When
winter sets in, as it sometimes does,
early in November, and continues right
through without thaw, hunting for
any thing except rabbits or grouse is
not followed with encouraging results.
The bear and the coon then seek winter
quarters, to remain until spring, or, &C.
cording to the popular belief, until
Candlema as day, whom they come out to
see if the sun casts their shadow on the
snow. When bears roam around in De-
cember then there is fun. Last Christ
may day two young men, known locally
as Joe and Fred, had very lively ex-
perience on the Oswegatchie river.
Suppose we let Joe tell his story:
with provisions enough to last two
days we started out Tuesday forenoon
for long tramp, our destination being
\ log camp ten miles away We saw no
signs of bear until within mile of the
camp we were to occupy. Then we
ran across the track of what was
apparently small specimen. We con-
Guided that we would not follow him at
once, SO we kept straight ahead on the
trail until the camp was reached. An
odd feature of the hunt began right
here. When we started forward on the
trail again we did not go over quarter
of mile before we again struck bear
tracks. This time there were marks of
two bears, and the tracks of one being
about three times as big as those of the
other, we made up our minds he was a
monster. Before we reached camp we
found more bear tracks, and the family
had increased to three. 1t was about
four o'clock in the afternoon when we
got into camp, and being SO late we
concluded that the best thing to do would
be to make ourselves comfortable for
the night and take the chances of find
ing the family of bears within ten miles
of us on the next day. When we started
out bright and early on Christmas
| m orning we found the tracks we had
seen the night before within two miles
| of camp on ledge of rocks near the
| river bank. Having traced them to
their hiding-place, the next thing was
| to get at them. This was not so
| easy. The hole in the rocks was not
very big, and there was only one way
to get in. It was evident that
an old hear and her two cubs were in
side, and the chances were altogether
| in favor of a fight when they were
stirred up. Fred concluded that a six
! teen-foot sapling would be good thing
| with which to begin operations. and he
cut one. stood at the opening in the
| rocks, rifle in hand, while he gave a
furious jab with the sapling. He had
made but one thrust when there was a
savage growl, rush, my gun was dis
| charged without effect, and tho next
thing 1 remember was a blow and a
| tumble among the rocks. l gathered
| myself up in time to see the old bear
galloping through the woods thirty
rods away, with half-grown cub in
close pursuit. Fred was just drawing a
bead on the other cub, which had come
| out last. He fired and rolled him over
| the first time. When 1 came to look
| myself over I found my right arm had
been disabled by striking rock with
my elbow, and had this scratch on my
face to remind me Of the paws of the
old bear. I was so badly used up that
the bear hunt ended right there We
gathered up the cub and returned to
camp, and the next time 1 find family
| of bears on a ledge of rocks shall stand
| aside and avoid the rush when they
come out Golden Days.