Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-01-03
HE KILLED THE. BEAR.
HOW FARMER JAspER,s OLD MUS
KET |GoT IN ITS WORK.

~N hAS CIohbly NeScIhu1eN
an Earthquake-But the Leader of the
Mutton Samplers Carried Away Nine
Buckshot in His Heart.
"Two more O. them sheep logged away last
night, and by the same Internal old bear, I
know" exclaimed Farmer Samuel Jasper.
That makes nineteen sence the fust O. the
month, and the bear hain't no nearer ketched
than he was a week ago. We've got to ketch
him tonight or give up sheep farmin'! I'm
goin' to try my land at watchin' fer him to-
night, and if that bear has any friends they'd
better tell him to look somewheres else for
his mutton this evening""
Farmer Jasper's premises lie along Sly's
Run, three miles south Of Soils Ridge, and
for two weeks some of the best bear hunters
in the region had been taking turns in hang
ing around the farmers place on the watch
for a bear that had been living high on his
sheep; SO high, in fact, that the flock had
almost disappeared. The hunters had seen
the bear several times, they said, and shot at
him, but all the same he went on sampling
the farmers mutton almost every night, until
the farmer at last resolved to stand guard
himself over the pasture for one night at
least.
IN BATTLE ARRAY.
Farmer Jasper is no bear hunter, and all
the firearm he possesses is an army musket Of
ancient pattern. When the farmer shout
dered his gun the night he vent out to show
the nlarauding bear that some things could
be done as well as others, he could not recall
the time the weapon had last been used. He
had loaded it well with buckshot, and re-
marked, as he left home, that he wasn't
afraid to meet half a dozen bears, but that
he was q little skiltish of the old musket. Be-
sides his musket, Farmer jasper took his hired
man with him. The sheep pasture is a small
one. The farmer posted himself at one side
of the lot. On the opposite side of the pas
ture there are first a few yards of thick I'M
derbrush. and then a piece of woods that ex-
tend back to the foot Of the ridge. On that
side the farmer posted his hired man.
The night was bright starlight. The hired
, man, who did not relish his job, lay down by
the stone wall inside the lot. He was not
armed, but had instructions to give the alarm
to the farmer by shouting if he saw anything
IN the shape of bear stealing into the field.
lie had not been in his place more than a
quarter of an hour when he heard a noise.
Looking up he saw a big animal, which he
naturally supposed was a bear, climbing over
the stone wall not twenty feet away. The
'"A NAOPpSu uoH1 AuCO Cuc lOU aLu was
quickly followed by three smaller bears.
The hired MAJ was SO badly scared that no
was unable to utter u sound. The four bears
shuffied off towurd the grazing sheep, which,
discovering the presence of their foes, began
scampering wildly away to the farther cor
ner of the lot. The bears followed the fright
ened flock, Their course took them close to
where Farmer Jasper was standing guard
with his musket. He had discovered them
us they charged upon the sheep, but somehow
he forgot what he was there for. It was not
until the bears bore down upon him and
threatened to run over him that he remem-
bercd his musket. Even then, as he said
afterward, he did not Know what he did De-
velopments showed that either he had placed
his gun to his shoulder and fired, or there
had been a sudden earthquake.
The report that came from the opposite side
OF the field had the effect of bringing the
hired man to his senses and loosening his
tongue. He jumped to his feet.
"Bears! bears! bears!' he yelled.
Then he scrambled over the wall and Law
down in the bushes. A few seconds later he
heard the bears charging back toward the
spot where they had entered the pasture. He
raised his head and peered up from the
bushes. He saw one Of the bears rise up on
the wall. The next second it had jumped into
the bushes. 1t came down astride of the ter
ror stricken hired man, and hurried away
toward the woods.
oOKIN OVER THE FIELD.
The bear had hardly passed over the hired
man when a second one pumped down, one
paw actually striking the man in the back.
That bear was quickly followed by q third,
and SO much of its body struck the hired man
that it left him almost GREATNESS. No more
bears came over the wall, and the terrified
farm hand ventured to raise his head and
look up. He grow cold and almost tainted to
see the enormous head and shoulders of q
fourth bear appearing above the wall. This
one was evidently having difficulty in getting
over the wall, for it was some time before it
alighted on tho ground at the hired mans
side. 1t remained where it had alighted for
a moment, and then with a groan that raised
the farm hands hair, it fell heavily to the
ground, and rolled with two or three convul-
sive throes across the legs of the reluctant
agricuiturist. At that moment Abel Ben
nett, one of the hunters who had been trying
to get the bear that was %depopulating Farm
er Jasper's sheep pastures, arrived at the
wall near where the hired man had been
posted, he having heard the report from the
pasture, and hurried over to see what it had
resulted in.
After a time Bennett succeeded in getting
enough out of the hired man to think that it
might be we'll to find out what had become of
Farmer Jasper. They found him lying on
the ground at the foot of the stone wall where
he had posted himself. He was Just recover
ing consciousness. He was taken home,
where it was found that his shoulder was dis
located. His right arm, from the shoulder
down, was badly bruised and swollen. The
farmer could recall nothing that happened
from the time ne saw the four bears march
ing dow upon him. From what the hired
man said about the passing of the bears, Abel
Bennett concluded that the last bear was still
in the bushes and dead. He vent back and
found it, get help and took it to the farmers
house. 1t had nine buckshot in its heart. The
bear was q 300 FOUNDER. Next morning the
army musket was found in the road, twenty
feet from where Farmer Jasper was found.
The chain Of circumstantial evidence was
strong enough to cave nodoubt in anybody's
mind that the old army musket had got its
work in at both ends.-Sol Ridge Cor. New
York Evening Sun.
The Great Russian Novelist.