Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-09-25

bone and muscle, with which he had
been born and with which he.had grown
I'D in entire content seemed likely to
serve him for the rest of his natural
life. But that very evening, amid the
safe, quiet and soft colors of the upland
COW pasture, fate was making ready a
lesson for him in the possibilities of the
unexpected.
In Westmoreland County that sum-
mer bears were looked upon as drug
in the market. The county, indeed,
seemed to be suffering from an epidemic
of bears. But, so far, these woody past
ures of Second Yestcock, surrounded
by settlements, had apparently escaped
the contagion. When, therefore, Jake
was startled by an angry growl, coming
from a swampy thicket on his right, the
thought of a bear did not Immediately
occur to him. He saw that the cows
were running ahead with sudden alert
ness. but he paused and gazed at the
thicket, wondering whether it would be
wise for him to go and investigate the
source of the sound. While he hesitated,
the question was decided for him. A
large black bear burst forth from the
bushes with crash that carried a name
less terror into Jake's very soul. The
beast looked so cruelty out of place, so
horribly out of place, breaking in upon
the beauty and security of the familiar
scene. Jake had no weapon more for
midable than the hazel switch he was
carrying and the pocket knife with which
he was trimming off it's branches. After
one long, Mortified look at the bear,
Jake took to fight along the narrow
cowpath.
Jake was a notable runner in those
days, yet the bear gained upon him rap
idly. The cowpath was tortuous ex-
ceedingly, and away from the path the
ground was too rough for fast running
at least Jake found it so. The bear
did not seem to mind the Irregularities.
Jake envied the cows their fine head
start. He wished he was with them;
then, as he heard the bear getting
closer, he almost wished he was one of
them; and then his foot caught in a
root, and he fell headlong.
AS he fell great wave of despair
went over him, and a thought flashed
through his mind: This is the end of
me!'' His sight was darkened for an in
stant as he rolled in the moss and
twigs, between two hillocks, Then,
turning upon his back, he saw hear al.
ready hanging over him; and now des-
perate courage came to his aid.
Raising his heels high in the air he
brought them down with violence in
the brute's face. The animal started
back, astonished at this novel meth cd
of defense. When it advanced again to
the attack, Jake met it desperately with
his heels, and all the time he kept up a
lusty shouting such as he hoped would
soon bring some one to the rescue. For
a few minutes, strange to say, Jake's
tactics were successful in keeping his
foe at bay; but presently the bear,
growing more angry or more hungry,
made a fercer assault and succeeded in
catching the lads foot between its jaws.
The brave fellow sickened under the
cruel grip of those crunching teeth, but
he kept up the fight with his free heel.
Just as he was about fainting with pain
and exhaustion, some farmers, who had
heard the outcry, arrived upon the
scene, and the bear hastily withdrew.
That night there was bear hunt at
| Second Westcock, but it brought no
spoils. Bruin had made an effective dis
appearance As for Jake, his foot and
the lower part of his leg were so dread
fully mangled that the leg had to be cut
off Just below the knee. When the lad
was entirely recovered, being a handy