The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-12-23

1
! fully up bare rocks, still wet and slip
| perry with dew, sometimes having to
J descend abrupt places in sitting posi-
| tion. Once | missed my footing and
rolled and slid twenty feet down a steep
incline, clutching vainly at stones and
| roots only to pitch headlong into a
| thorny bramble that held me prisoner
! until Eltz hacked me out with his knife.
While | was pulling the thorns ont of
my flesh and clothes EltZ went forward
| To reconnoiter great fisSure n few hun
! dred feet up the mountain side. When
| ready to follow him | noticed a kestrel
| hanging in the air, its shadow vibrat-
| ing at my feet. Suddenly il swooped
| downwards and then 1 spied its clear
| cut figure outlined against the sky at
| the top of a dead pine, and one foot
clutched some small animal its keen
eye had marked for its prey. Right at
! the foot of the pine ! saw "A great dark
| moving mass which knew was Il bear.
1t reared up and tore the bark of the
tree with its great claws just like
| cat, then came slowly up the slope,
! evidently heading in our direction. 1t
! had not yet seen me, and dodging be-
hind bowlders and stumps ! hastencd
to join Eltz. He was on his hands and
knees peering into a dark, low cavern
when l reached him and his eyes
sparllled at the news l 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?" 1
ventured To remonstrate, but he de-
clared that all signs showed that the
occupants were not at home, and be-
/ 4 a
| had seized my arm and dragged me i'll
! 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
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, SD we lowered ourselves careful
| ly and then passed around To see how
much of footing we had down there
! Just then we heard the bear enter the
| cave. 1t came with "A rush, and As we
| tlattened ourselves against the steep
! wall it dropped at our feet with
| hOarsc grunt and went shuifling off
into the dark. 1t came so much sooner
than we had expected that we 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 get out of here" l whispered.
"An right" said Eltz, and he gave
me a hoist up. As l 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:
Heres the other one! Lie close to
! the rock for your life"
The great brute came shuffling in
slowly and stopped when it reached the
edge of the rock. Peering upwards l
could see its huge head swinging slowly
from side to side. II was snutiing
| loudly and suspiciously. Would it de-
| tect rs?
a deep bass snort came as If in an
| swer 10 my thought, and saw its fierce
red eyes glow as il glared upon us
! The Iong-stretched neck tempted EItz
and he sprang up, knife in hand, but
| before hc could strike / had pushed my
rifle against his shaggy neck and fired
three shots that tore its throat out \
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. II was with a sigh of re-
lief that | heard him mutter as he
picked up my rifle, Il suppose | must
shoot, but | hate to do it" Then he
sent shot after shot in the direction of
the grOwls We could not have re
treated from her attack, but she died
tamcly without showing fight. Eltz
helped me up, and we got out of as
tight place rs | ever care to get into.
The smoke of the rifle and the musty
smell of the cavern had half sufTocatcd
| us, ana the am OF thc reports ana the
7 roars of the bears rang in our heads for
days afUcrward.
by the aid of n tout stick and Eltz'
arm | got back to Erhardt's cabin to
be laid up for the rest of the week with
I a 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 back
the furs and fine ham before night.
The great bear was as large n male
brown bear rs either had ever seen and
his fur was exceptionally fine and
glossy, but the female was a small
specimen, and her hide but of ordinary
quality. Erhardt declared the big fell
low Il stranger To- those parts, and
had either killed or driven off the
former mate of the small female. Most
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,
and no doubt lie was right Eltz in
sisted that the big skin belonged to me,
and when | returned brought it with
me. and il now hangs in our mess room,
and it is one of the finest trophies of
the chase that adorn the walls.-Sidney
llansler, in Detroit Free Press.