Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-12-01

The cliffs piece and see ii we can
chance upon their retreat" We began
the ascent and in an hour had left the
deciduous trees behind the region
grew wilder and made progress more
difficult We scrambled through brush
End thicket, sometimes crawling pain
fully up bare rocks, still wet and slip
perry with dew, sometimes having to
descend abrupt places in q sitting posi-
ton. Once missed my footing and
rolled and slid twenty feet down a steep
incline, clutching vainly at stones and
roots only to pitch hcadlong into a
thorny bramble that held me a prisoner
until Eltz hacked me out with his knife.
While l was pulling the thorns out of
my flesh and clothes Eltz went forward
to rcconnoiter great fissure few hum
dred feet up the mountain side. When
ready to follow him l noticed q kestrel
hanging in the air, its shadow vibrat-
ing at my feet Suddenly it swooped
downwards and then spied its clear
cut figure outlined against the sky at
the top of n dead pine, and one foot
clutched some small animal it's keen
eye had marked for it's prey. Right at
the foot of the pine / saw n great dark
moving mass which knew was bear.
1t reared up and tore the bark of the
tree with its great claws just like a
cat, then came slowly up the slope,
evidently heading in our direction. 1t
had not yet seen me, and dodging be-
hind bowloers and stumps ] fastened
to join Eltz. He was on his hands and
knees peering into dark, low cavern
when reached him and his eyes
sparkled at the news | brought.
Lets go into the cave and surprise
the old fellow If he tries to get in," he
cried.
"Supposing his mate is in there?" l
vcntured to demonstrate, but he de-
clared that all signs showed that the
occupants were not at home, and be-
fore | could find another objection he
had seized my arm and dragged me in
with him. The entrance was too low
to stand upright. so we crawled for
ward on our hands and knees Eltz
leading the way. We had hardly gone
seven yards when Eltz drew back lie
had nearly gone headforemost into a
hole. The rock dropped abruptly here,
and passed him my rifle. Lowering
it by the shoulder straps he could just
touch bottom. There was no time to
stop, so we lowered ourselves careful
ly and then passed around to see how
much of n footing we had down there.
Just then we heard the bear enter the
cave. 1t came with rush, and as we
flattencd ourselves against the steep
wall it dropped at our feet with a
hoarsc grunt and went shutting off
into the dark. 1t came so much sooner
than we had expected that VIC had no
time to explore the cave and determine
on our plan Of attack. We could hear
it thrashing about and grunting some
where in the depths of the cavern, but
of course we could see nothing
Lets pet out of here | whispered.
"All right" said Eltz, and he gave
me hoist up AS | struggled upward
saw the great bear had seen coming
up the mountain not two yards from
the mouth OF the cave, and dropped
down again, stammering out:
''IIere's the other one! Lie close to
the rock for your life!'
The great brute came shuflling in
slowly and stopped when itrcached the
edge of the rock. Peering upwards !
could sec its huge lead swinging slowly
from side to side. 1t was snutling
loudly and suspiciously. Would it de.
tect MS?
A deep bass snort came rs If in an
swcr to my thought, and saw its fierce
red eyes glow rs it glared upon MS.
The long-stretched neck tempted Eltz
and he sprang up, knife in hand, but
before he could strike had pushed my
rifle against his shaggy neck and fired
three shots that tore its throat ont. A
delugc of warm blood streamcd down
upon Us, the walls of the cavern rang
again and again with the cracking re-
ports and the horrible roars of the NOR
tally wounded brute. In the dim light
and through the smoke saw it half
fall, half spring over the ledge We
jumped out of the way, but the cave
was SO narrow that one great paw
struck my foot before could get away
and threw me headlong The long
claws tore through my boot and lac
Grated me badly. The other bear was
uttering frightful roars, and as / lay
half stunned and helpless on the ground
| never expected to get out of the
place alive, for / believe Eltz would
want to knife the other bear and
in the dark he would have little chance
of success. 1t was with sigh of re-
lief that ! heard him mutter as he
picked up my rife, Il suppose | must
shoot, hut hate to do it." Then he
sent shot after shot in the direction OF
the growls. We could OF have re
treated from her attack, but she died
tamcly without showing fight Elt2
helped me up, and we got out of as
tight place us l ever care to get into.
The smoke of the rifle and the nusty
smell of the cavern had half suffocated
us, anu bilc Jill VI bilc .lCpOttS ana line
roars of the bears rang in our heads for
| days afterward.
by the aid of tout stick and Eltz
arm got back to Erhardt's cabin to
be laid up for the rest of the week with
pretty sore foot. Eltz and the for.
ester set off the next morning, and
lighting up the cave with torches they
skinned the bears and brought 3acl'
the furs and q fine ham before night
The great bear was as large male
brown bear as either had ever seen and
his fur was exceptionally fine and
glossy, but the female was small
specimen, and her hide but of ordinary
quality. Erhardt declared the big fel
! low was stranger to those parts, and
had either. killed or driven off the
former mate of the small female. Mos,
of the members of the bear family
mate for life, but in his long acquaint
ance with their ways the forester
could tell of several such occurrences