The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-02-18

Tor although the tree was now with,
twenty-five yard unless could reacl
1t at least three seconds ahead of tn.
bear. she would pull me down in tb,
act of mounting.
The hoarse, granting roar of the
eager brute had changed to a blood
curdIlng growl, and l fancied that
could almost feel her hot breath on INV
back, when sudden rememb rance OF
some old-time story struck me. Quick
as lightning flash l drew nv belt
knife and with one stroke severed the
light strap of the oil-skin satchel con-
tanning tho remains of my lunch.
The bag fell to the ground, and, sure
enough, the bear stopped short and
tore it into sbreds
Then, totally ignoring the bread and
meat, she came on again with re-
doubled rage. But the precious three
seconds had been lost and gained, and
she was yet four lengths behind me
when reached the tree and scrambled
mp to the first branch, about twenty
feet from the ground-t though barely in
time to save myself, for the long bodied
BEAST reared straight beside the trunk
and came wi thin hairs breadth of
catching my foot as assembled.
Most fortunately for me, adult
grizzlies do not climb, nor could even
common black bear have gone
up that sapling, the stem OF which was
only nine inches in diameter. Though
sale for the present. was by no means
In comfortable position, none of the
branches being large enough to sus-
tain my whole weight. Consequently.
In order to support myself, was
obliged to cling with one arm to its |
body, and very firmly, too, as the
oaIned monster rose several times on
her hind feet, shook the tree violently
md tore off great strips of bark with
Ter powerful claws.
What if she should take a notion to
Ing it up by the roots? She could have
lone so in fifteen minutes. Oh. how bit
eriy now regretted not taking Jim's
dvice to bring my revolver along.
After awhile my jailer got tired of
rying to dislodge me, but instead of
olng Off she uttered loud, peculiar
ry' and the next moment the two cubs
anne shuffiing along and joined her.
Then, while her babies refreshed 4.
the grim mother sat COM
osedly down at the foot of the tree.
vidently preparing for a regular block
de.
II should live thousand years l ,
'uid never forget that awful night.
AFTER dark the temperature fell to
he freezing point, and l kept from
'rishing only by repeatedly climbing
gher up the tree and then SLIDING
own to my old position. =.
Even so could hardly keep nv blood
rculating, and / was SO worn ont bv :.
tlgue and SO deadly sleepy that |
as In momentary danger of dropping a
TO the hungry jaws below. :,
had hoped that the cold would in. :,
zee the bear to retire to the cave with r
T cuos' in which case might take a A,
ort run and gain a larger tree. but Il
cunning beast seemed quite con. e.
n'ed with her present quarters, and r.
w aiter 1 had ceased to distinguish ri
orownish-gray form on the SINH
ny colored ground could hear her ~
'ving about and coddling her young to
A. th;s e.; ce
~ TINS time, the moon was two or h,
zee days beyond the full, and it mist -,
We been past midnight when it rose e. e.
n enough to clear the mountainous On ~,
light up my valley prison. Then 10,
bear and ! could again see each ~.
Ter plainly, fact of which She tool ~
vantage to give my roosting-place dir
other series OF vigorous shakes
the angry beast had known enough IL,
keep this up for five minutes at any vo
time, | must have lost INV hold. /.
: luckily, she didn't, and l ALWAYS he,
ewed my grip during her quiet wb
NJ. eve
mar was to be the end of It all? it's
dumb brute could maiptuin he. -,