The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-10-06
BRUINS AIN GOOD.

at the Crossings OF the pixies IN Hamii
ton township, Pa. Jake Banks seated
himself on an empty egg crate ano
took cut his pipe, threw one leg over
his knee, struck q match on his trcus
ers, calmly lit the pipe and taking &
couple of draws to satisfy himself that
the tobacco was thoroughly ignited
be looked up and began
"Wcll, You fellows know I've been
up on Wolf mountain cutting timber
| for the last two weeks. It was pretty
cold couple Of days. but l built my
self sort Of lean to from the logs and
kept right snug with little fire.
There are plenty bears in that there
neck OF woods, but 1 didn't see any
! for most week In the mean time
| | had cut down and made quite q pile
of logs near the side where we shute
them into the valley
You know over on the west side is
a place where there are no trees and
where the ground is covered with
stones OF ali sorts and sizes. Wall
| about four o'clock one afternoon. /
started 10 take look at some timber
on the west side. Ny way was over
this clear ground. You know there
are some big bowlders scatterd around,
too. Well when l got about half way
| across the bare place [ thought [
saw something dark moving around
one Of those powders about one hun
dred feet IL front of me- l didn't
think anything OF ii, and kept right
on. But when got to the rock what
do you think l saw?' Jake didn't
wait for his audience 10 guess, but
went on:
"h all, there out about sixty feet
was big bear eating an ear of corn.
! He was standing sideways to me and
evidently hadn't any idea that man
was III five miles.
| / didn't know what to do. There
was the bear, and beyond him was the
timber l wanted to see. [ didn't feel
ike tramping clear back and going
around through the woods no more
did feel like walking past that bear
L didn't have my gun along, and the
best thing III the way of weapon was
q big pocket knife
Wall, l finally concluded to try a
feeler. | think | said The ground was
full OF stones. picked up one about
DIS big az my fist, and fired it at the
bear. 1t went way over his head and
made big racket where it struck the
ground The bear jumped around
and watched the stone for most min
ute and | watched him Then he
turned around and picked up his
corn, which he had dropped, and stuck
it in his mouth. / flung another stone.
1t went better; it struck the ear Of
corn plumb center, and knocked it ten
feet away. This made the bear mad
and he growled and glared around L
quickly let fly another rock and it hit
old bruin on the shoulder and then he
saw me.
Il had hoped to scare him away
without betraying myself Now was
scared. But just when l thought he
was about to come for me he stopped
and picking up big rock, let it drive
straight toward me- 1t hit the bowl
der and glanced over my head.
'If he wanted to fight in that way,
| was willing to accommodate him, and
L let him have the stones as fast as /
could pick them up. Bruin wasn't so
quick i'll the motion, but his rocks
were bigger and more dangerous His
aim was good, too. | had to watch
mighty particular to keep from get
ting hit. Finally, managed to con
meet with his left paw, and he gTowl-
ed and shook it as though 1t hurt him;
but he didn't offer to come any closer
We had been at this business at least
five minutes, when as he reached for a
rock [ managed to plant big stone
right in his stomach. The force of
the blow seemed to turn him half
around, and the pain made him simp-
ly furious. He danced and growled,
and then the rocks came whizzing
past me as though shot out Of q gun.
| had about concluded to cut and run
for cover. when l noticed another bear
come around the rock behind my
angry antagonist. As | lodged the
missiles that were falling around me,
| saw this new bear waddle slowly for
ward to within forty feet of my par
ticular bear, and then with his hands
on his hips he watched the fight curl
ously.
In the meantime | had been hit by
bounding rock on the leg, and, as [
flung back with all my strength two
pound stone, my foot slipped and |
went down in heap. The stone went
clear over the first bear and struck
the one in the rear on the neck. He
jumped about ten feet III the air, and
then | felt something strike me on the
head. must have been dazed for a
minute; when [ came around the
blood was running out OF this cut
here made by the stone. It pleased
me nightly. however, that no bear
was clawing at my legs. [ looked
hastily around, and gentlemen, / hope
| may never smoke another pipe of
tobacco il those two bears weren't
stoning each other
Evidently when my stone hit the
bear that was a spectator he had fol-
lowed suit and fired 4 rock at the
other bear, thinking he had hit him
My fall occurred at the same time,
and my friend being struck IN the
rear whirled around and Immediately
continued the fight with one of his
own species. My head hurt me con
siderable but | forgot all about it,
with watching those bears.
They danced around, they growl
ed, and all the time they kept hurting
stones at each other with ali their
force. My bear seemed to be q little
better thrower, however, and he re
peatedly succeeded in landing q rock
on his opponents hide. The fresh
bear took it pleasantly, without any
abatement in the care with which he
Z 40 - L. =. .