Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-11-27
HE MADE TIE BEAR BLIND.
An Encounter with u Furious Beast
where Strategy Won.

Ralph Hardness manufactures mine
car sprays on Bear Greek, in Luzerne
county, Penn. While on his way to
Glen Summit one day last month Mr..
Hardness came pat upon bear in Pos
tens Ravine, one Of the feeders of Bear
Greek. The animal was devouring the
carcass Of q sheep just over log, and Mr.
Hardness was within eight feet of it
when 1t raised its head and stared at him.
Blood was dripping from its jaws, there
was wool on its tusks, and it uttered a
low growl, as. though it was angry at
being disturbed
Mr.. Hardness was startled when the
bear arose and glared at him. He stood
perfectly still, thinking that the bear
would become frightened in moment
and dash out Of sight in the bushes. In
stead Of that the bear grew bold and
ugly. 1t evidently had just begun to
feed on the sheep, for it stood its ground,
CRASHED its teeth, eyed Mr.. Hardness,
growled constantly, and showed in every
way that it was determined not to be
driven from its prey. Mr.. Hardness was
afraid that the surly brute would chase
him it he started to run, and for eight or
ten minutes he remained motionless and
looked the bear straight in the eye. This
soon became tiresome to MIR. Hardness,
and as the bear was getting madden and
noiser every moment he plucked up
courage enough to start up the ravine.
No sooner was his back turned than
the bear sprang over the log and made
for him. The only weapon he had was
On oak sprag, and he instantly wheeled
and hit the bear terrific blow on the
snout with it,, setting it back on its
launches. 1t hinged at him again, and
MIR. Hardness, who is as spry on his feet
as a cat, jumped to the left and hit the
bear q tremendous whack on its right eye
with the sprag. The blow made the
bears eyeball pop from its socket, and
the pain was SO great that the bear shook
and quivered and groaned, but it was
Still full Of fight, and once more it tried
to strike Mr.. Hardness down by plung-
ing at him.
One Of its claws caught in a leather
belt that MIR. Hardness wore around the
top Of his trousers and Mr.. Hardness was
pulled under the ferocious beast and
badly bruised. He chung to his sprag,
however, and when he had released him
self he jumped to the blind side of the
bear, grabbed its loose eyeball and
yanked at it till the bear whirled round
and round and made the ravine ring with
its cries of pain. Mr.. Hardness was
jerked from his feet by the whirling bear
and he finally let go Of the eYeball and
got behind q tree to catch his breath,
thinking that the, half-blinded animal
would surely take to its legs and show no
more fight.
But the bear soon caug bit sight Of him
and pitched at:shim again Mr.. Hark-
ness had got his breath by that time.
He can strike as heavy blow with his
left hand as he can. with his right, and
when the murderous brute again attacked
him he jumped from behind the tree,
changed the sprag to his left. and went
to hammering the bears left eye with it.
At the fourth blow he completely
blinded the bear by knocking its other
eye out. The savage beast groaned and
butted against the trees in its efforts to
find its enemy, and Mr.. Hardness, who
had no knife or other weapon with which
to kill the bear, got large round stone
out OF the creek and put the blinded an
imal out of its misery by crushing its
skull. Mr.. Harkness's clothing was so
badly torn that he didn't go to Glen Sum-
nit that day, and when he looked be-
hind the log he found large sheep, the
neck Of which the bear had partly de-
voured. The oaken sprag that saved
his life he is going to keep as long as he
lives.-[New York Sun.