The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-02-06

down as easily as could q child in arms,
tearing my shoulders pretty badly by
the blow.
/ fell with my back across the log,
and before l could draw a weapon from
my belt the bear was upon me, crushing
and nearly suffocating me with the
weight of her big, hairy body. With
her forepaws she Rugged me round the
shoulders in clasp 4 little too loving
to be altogether comfortable, and, pin
ming my arms to my side, would draw
up her hind feet again and again, trying
to rip me open it seemed BY the luck
lest chance in the world l had on one
of these oilslin jackets such as sailors
wear and pair OF buckskin oyeralls,
reaching to my knees, where my thick
boots met them, and it was only my
dress that saved me from being torn to
pieces, for the bears claws, as often as
she tried to rip it, would slip over the
smooth surface of the oilskin jacket and
spend its force on my overalls and boots,
which protected my legs to great ex-
tent, though the flesh was badly torn
even through them.
All this, though it takes some time to
tell it, happened so quick that all had
been able to do before the bear grabbed
me was TO yell to Nip and Tuck. They
actually seemed to be taken so aback at
first by the sight OF me lying on the
ground with the bear on top that they
could only stand still and look, with
their eyes popping out of their heads;
but when they did fairly take in the sit
uation they made for that bear with no
more ado than if she had been pussy
cat One took her by the ear and the
other laid hold OF her hind leg.
Now, bears have a trick of always
letting go any thing they have their
clutches on for the next thing that
bothers them, and it was to this way OF
theirs that owe being here to tell the
tale, for if she had held on to me much
longer l would have been suffocated, as
sure as death. But when the dogs
grabbed her she let go of me and turned
on them, swapping her jaws and snarl-
ing like devil gone mad. Away they
went, tumbling over the rocks and
crashing through the thick under
growth as if it had been dried grass
the dogs too cute to get in the face of
the bear and only worrying her from
behind whenever they could, and thu
bear too big and clumsy TO get good
chance at them. <-.,--.:.--~-~--
While this scramble was going on |
got on my feet and ran TO get my gun,
but / found the muZzle full of snow and
the ramrod gone, so / drew my pistol
and rushed back TO help the dogs. !
fred when l thought I could hit the
bear without hurting the dogs, but ..
chance would have it the pistol snapped.
Just at that moment the bear made a
sudden rush at Tuck, and the two,
struggling and yelping and growing,
rolled over ledge Of rock and disap-
peared. ---.,.==..--=
Though I was still dizzy and sore from
my fall, with the blood running down
my legs and face, | could not leave my
faithful! friends to fight it out alone, so
I dropped the blamed pistol, and, draw
ing my tomahawk, 1 jumped ever the
ledge right in the thick of the shindy.
The grizzly now dropped the dog and
turned TO me again, but 1 jumped to one
side and caught her by the nape of the
neck, striking at her forehead. She
turned to bite my arm as l brought my
arm down and the weapon glanced,
nearly cutting off one of her ears, which
made her turn her head to that side,
so giving me a chance to strike her
again. ] took good aim that time and
succeeded in burying the tomahawk in
her brain, so that she fell at my feet
without a struggle or q groan.-St.
Louis Globe-DemCcrat