Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-08-19

hazards, for l couldn't think of getting
back to camp without il, knowing that
4 would be such a terrible disappoint-
ment TO the boys. So | tore along
through brush and down timber and
swdmpy ground ana rocky bottoms,
clinging TO the pail of honey, which,
after awhile, began to feel as if il
hung on me Ike a ton OF lead.
THE beJrs scrambled along i'll my
wake, sometimes within Il rod OF me,
and then falling back Il long way after
some squirt of mine over a stretch of
favorable ground | kept thinking all
the time tbdt ! was circling around
IN the direction OF the camp but if |
was it struck me after awhile that l
must be making Il tremendous circle,
for these bears had been chasing me
for good long two hours, and 1 hadn't
come 10 any sign of camp yet. | didn't
know how the bears felt, but from all
appearances they seemed TO be just as
clipper as they We're when they
started in as my escort through those
woods. As for me, | was getting most
ALFRED tired, and felt that unless
things took turn in my favor pretty
soon | would be their meat. Still l
hung on to tie housekeeping pail of
honey, hoping that 1 was nearing camp
and would come in sight of il before
long.
by and by / came to n BIG open
space in the woods, and what was my
surprise to see one of the bears jump
INTO this opening about ten rods to lay
right, aud another one the some
distance on my left They took "a
diagonal course to each other, and it
WAS plain to me that they were head
ing me off. The third bear was in my
wake, about Ehuee rods distant | saw
there was no use. | made for "A small
chestnut tree close by me, and dropping
my cherished pail of honey with a
pang, | Skinned up the tree. | went
clear to the top, and by that time the
three bears were at the foot Of the
tree. But they paid no more attention
10 me than if | hadn't been in existence.
They went for the pail of honey with
q delight that was frantic. | can't tell
YOU how quick they sopped out the
honey with their paws and deyOured
it. After it was all gone they licked
the pail clean and then slouched away
into the woods without giving me even
a passing glance
Then | remembered that the over
poweung passion III hears WAS VIII
honey, and that they would go 70 al
most any risk 10 geJ Il. | came down
out of that tree and almost butted my
Mead against it, for | knew that | ha,l
been flying from those bears all DAY
because | thought they wanted to.
chew Inc up, when they hadn't thought
of nae once. All they wanted was, the.
paiR Of honey.
Il had notion to 20 back to the tree
and butt my brains out any way, after
| had lef' il and gone 100 yards to my
right, for there I came plump out on
the caunp with the fellows all in and
Waiting for me and my pail of honey
But L got some satisfaction the next
day. One OF the boys and | went to,
where 2 had ChotpSd down the bee
tree and found al three of the bears,
finishing up the honey l had left
Only one of them got away. l knocked
enc over and my friend dropped anoth-
er one. And IIere was enough honey
left to stock the camp for a week So,
don't you believe ttat bears won't
chase Il man. There are times when
they won't do anything else"