Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-07-07
A KENTUCKY MULE.
A Gray Haired Old Fellow freed Beal
and Finally Killed 1t.

and Finally Killed 1t.
Sam Parsons gray mule Zeke is old
and gray, but he possesses great strength,
both of understanding and of body.
Saturday old Sam concluded that he
wouldn't work. and accordingly he
shouldered his muzzle loading rife and
went hunting. But before departing he
turned Zeke out to Craze.
Finding the grass around the parson S
cabin rather scanty, Zeke wandered
down the edge of the creek next to the
mountain side. There within the shad-
ow of the woods he struck nice, ten
der clump of grass and Immediately be-
gan to eat it with great delight. While
engaged in this congenial task large
black bear came down the mountain
side and approached Zeke. Zeke had
probably never seen a bear before, as the
ursina tribe has long been scarce in these
mountains. Nor is it likely that the bear
had ever on any previous occasion look
ed upon a mule. But this bear was
hungry and, while Zeke was bigger
game than he had bargained for, he
evidently thought it worth while to take
look at him, for he came little nearer.
Zeke was not bit afraid. He had
never stood in awe of manhood, not
even Old Sam. his master, and it was
not likely that at this late period of his
life he would be afraid of any four
footed creature that walked the earth.
Zeke calmly went on with his pleasant
task of eating grass. The bear edged up
another yard. Zeke switched his tail
and cleverly knocked fly off his back,
and being relieved of the burden of the
insect still munched the grass.
The bear began to grew inquisitive.
He evidently did not understand what
kind of an animal Zeke was, his studies
in zoology being limited. He stood upon
his launches and growled, not as a
threat, but as kind of friendly salute.
Zeke did not raise his head, and still
munched the grass. The bear stoppes
growing and walked in respectful cir
Gle around Zeke, studying him from
every corner. He might have been a
hundred miles away for all the notice
Zeke took. The bear was puzzled and
uttered another growl of interrogation
Again finding himself unnoticed he be-
gan to grow angry.
The bear went around behind Zeke
and came very close, evidently deter
mined to try by touch to arouse the
strange animal. Suddenly Zeke doubled
himself up in knot and leaped high in
the air. Two legs flew out of the bunch
like piston rods and caught the bear in
the side, whirling him over in com
plete somersault. When he struck the
ground he righted himself and rushed
away with a growl of pain. But Zeke
was hot after him, and the bear, seeing
that ne would be overtaken, scrambled
up hickory tree, barely missing a terri
BILE drive of Zeke's hind heels.
Noon came and still Zeke was under
the tree. The afternoon passed. 1t was
almost sundown, but still Zeke was
there. The bear could stand it no long
er. Zeke was about twenty feet away
from the tree, apparently taking no no
tice, and accordingly he crawled down
the trunk as quietly as possible, intend
ing to slip away in the forest. Barely
had he touched the ground when Zeke
turned with snort and leaped upon
him. So fast did his hind legs flash back
and forth that they looked like the driv-
ing rods of an engine. In a minute the
bear was dead, every bone in his body
broken. Mrs. Parsons, who saw it all
from the door of her cabin, says that the
bear didn't even have time to growl
When asked why she hadn't taken a gun
from the house and shoot the bear in the
tree-for she is a girl woodsman and bold
as man-she replied:
II knowed Zeke didn't need no help,
and besides didn't want to spile the
fun. Pond Creek (Ky.) Cor. New York
Sun.