New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-31
KILLING HIS BEAR.
A WINTER TRAGEDY WITH THREE ACTORS


In field Of snow some green pines huddlcd TO-
ccthcr and sang in quavcs as the wind wnrled
among the gulncs and ridges. clces daneled from
tho trees boards, and fine dusts OF snow lay upon
their brows ON the ridge top dismal choir of hem
lock, cropnei over one that had fallen. The dying
SIN created a dim purple and hame-oolored MmWt
on the lorizons edge and then sank until level crimson
beam. struck the tree. A. the rcd rays rettcdtcu'
arnio, Il shadows stole forward. \ gray, ponder
ous stiffness came heavily IN tie steps Of the sun.
little man stood under the quavctng pines. lie was
munied to the nose in fur and WOOL and hIdo'us
cap was pulled tightly over his His cold and
impatient feet had stamped "A small Platform OF hiIu
snow beneath him. black barrcloi rifle lay In the
hollow Of his His cycs, watery fom lncesSint
glazing, swept over the snOwfchs In front "i NM
nj, body fct dumb aud bloDdlcN'. and soft cures
came forth ana fr,zc the icy wind. The shadows
crcpt about his feet until he was merely a blurred
blachncs,. with keen eyes
OG oye- TIE ridges. through the tangled sounds OF
night. the yell ~ a hound on the traH' IL
pierced the clrs 81 the little man and made n blood
swim IN his veins. III, eye, eagerly plunged at ih'
wall Of tllckcis acoss the stone field. but he moved
not A finger or foot. save hi, eyes, he was frozen
10 a statue. The cry 0f the hound grew louder
and louder then passed away to Il filnt yelp, then
al louder At frat II had strange vindctivcnf@s
and bio dt'hrstlnc.s I'm H. Then II grew mpuriful
~ ia, waiing 81 losd thing, as perhaps, The d"S
gained on a fleeing bear. hound, rs he ncais
large game. has the gricis Of the world on his
houlGer, and h, laying tells OF the approach u
G.,,- "a. liz +, sorry he came
The long ycus thrc, the little man. Ills eyes
cleaned and grew small and his body stfcncd 10 In
;.i... nlcr'nc,s. TIE trc-, kept up their Grooming
ard the Hight in the west faded to dnll red splash
hu, the little man. fancy was fixed on the pmiihs'
fotn ep,,tercd hound. cancrlng with his hot nose :"
,nc Ground In TIE rear 81 the bear, which runs rs
easily and ~ swiftly ~ a rabbit, through brush
tin,l cr and swae. swift pcturcS Of himself In a
linn md altitude, under a thouand combinations 81
circumstances killing thousand bears. passed pano-
Iamlraly through him.
The ycl Of the hound grew until II smotc the httl'
man Hike a call 10 battle. lie leaned forward, ana
the second finger II his right hand played low
neryou, pat pat the trigger 81 his rhc. The bay
ing grew fierce and blood currng for moment, th"h
the dog seemed 10 turn directly toward the little man,
and the notes again grew walins and mour1iful. 1t
II hot uall.
Tho little man. with nerves ungllng and blood
throlhlng remained in the shadows, like fantastic
bronze figure with ewclicl eyes sNayinS sharply In
ia head Occasionally he thought he could hear the
branches Of tho bushes In front swish together Then
silence would come again
The hound breasted the crest Of the ridge, a third
OF mile away and suddenly his full toned cry rolled
over the tangled hichcts 10 the little man. The bear
must be very near. The itlc man kept 50 stili and
listened 80 tremendously that he could hear h.H blood
surge In his veins. All at once he heard II swlil
swish In the bushes. Ills rife was ut his shoulder
and he sighted unccrtany along the front Of tho
thlcket The swish Of the bushes grew louder. In
the rear the hound mourning over warm scent
The thickct opened and great bear, indistnct and
vague In the shadows bounded into the little man !
view, and came tcrrihcally across the open snow
field. The little man stood like Image. The bear
did not "shamble7 nor "wObbe', there was no awk
wni,lncsS his gait he like frightened kitten
It would be- an endless chase for the 1.-THE ulb,d hound
In the rear.
ON he came. dl~cty toward the little man. Tho
animal heard only the crying behind him. lie knew
nothing OF the thing with death In IL, hands standing
motonless In the shadows before him.
slowly the little man changed his aim until 1t
rested where the head OF the approaching shadowy
mass must be- II was motion, made with
steady nerves and IA soundlcss swaying OF the rifle
barrel; but the bear heard or saw, and
knew. The animal whrled swiftly and started In
direction with amazing burst Of speed
Its side was toward the little now. Ills rifle
barrel searching swiftly over the dark shape.
Under the fore shoulder was the place A chaleo
TO pierce the heart sever an artery or pass through the
barrel. The earth faded u nothing. only space
and the game the aim and the hunter. Man
the little man, but did not shake his tnlest nerve
When ths rifle cracked II shook his soul to a pro
Tho nttlc man sprang forward With roar. lie
OF red. now dim, threw n faint. tmid beam on n
llndred shade On the snow. The little man bounded
"Ilitl" he yelled and ran on Some hundreds
Of yards forward no came to a dead bear with his
nose In the snow. Blood oohng slowly from u
wound under the shoulder, and the snow about was
sprinked with blood. mad froth lay In the animals
open month and his limbs twisted from agony.
Ihe IT,, 81, man yelled again and sPrang forward
thousands. lie ran up and Kicked the ribs of the
bear Upon his face was the smile Of tho success