Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-09-15

tho ground and across II we're tho
bloody tracks of bear TO my ex.
cited Imagination they looked us large
as a bushel measure, and | could a.
most see the flying form vt our camp
keeper and the pursuing terror of the
mountains.
Kingsbury was nowhere to be seen.
Everything was perfectly quiet. But
we knew that the tfouble had been re-
cent because the blood still oozed from
The Neck of the dead mule, and there
was fire at the camp not nearly burned
out,
Meanwhile o shot from Blake's rihs
rang through the forest aud It's revap.
berations had scarcely died away when
the voice OF Kingsbury gave answer
faint and long distance off. The dogs
ware away in moment and the yells OF
our partner vt intervals mingled with
the tongue Of the dogs.
T" Better load up your BELTS with shell
and get up In these little trees, boys"
said Pennington, "for that animal will
be back here powerful soon"
We were so excited that no second
suggestion was required, We could
tell by the cry of the dogs when they
reached the scene of action, and in q
little time they quit barking. A few
minutes later the pup came tearing
through the brush, followed by noise
which greatly resembled an immense
bowlder bounding down hill.
Look outl' yelled Pennington, and
n half second later the bald-face burst
through the underground not one hun.
dred feet away. His face was bloody.
Two dogs and mule had fallen vic
Tins to his fury and he came on foam.
ing towards us. A volley attracted his
attention and with roar he rushed al
the small trees in which we were stand.
ing. think but one shot hit him, for
the rifles were mighty shaky, Give
it to him." said Pennington. 'Don't
waste your fire, take fair aim at him,
and don't pull the trigger till you can
land"
No fury could equal the rage of that
brute. 1t came at the small trees,
tried to climb them, tore the bark and
snapped them with a mouth which
looked yard long. In the excitement
of the moment / dropped my rife
while shifting my position, and as il
struck the ground twenty feet below
the brute ran and seized it at the butt
crunching the stock like piece of clay
or glass.
The attack became perfect fusillade
and perhaps hundred shots were free
before the bear gave signs of weaken
ing. One of its monster legs wal
broken and its sides were plowed will
bullets. Risdon, who by the way, came
from this city, was anxious to do gooC
work and undertook to change his posi-
ton. His foot had torn the bark from
the limb of the little tree and il wa:
slick as ice. In an instant, as he stepped
about, his feet went from under hin
and he was precipitatcd to the ground
The bear, blind and about dying
heard the fall and stumbled and ran t,
the tree, The fall had stunned Risdon
or else he could have got away.
But the fierce brute was upon him il
an instant more. It's immense jaw
closed on his thigh just at the hip an
the bones snapped like twigs.
We almost sprang from the tree an
at short range poured from the two re
naming guns broadside into the AM
' NAL which ended its life. But on
friend was insensible and dying. Th
mass of inert meat fell across him
With the utmost difficulty the carcas
was removed from our PROSTATE con-
rade to find that the claws of the bea
had cut through his body under the lef
arm, penetrating the cavity and tear
ing hole in his side
Risdon never spoke never gave
sign that he was in danger, fear o
pain. The whole catastrophe was s
quickly ended that no effort could hav
saved his life. The bear was practica
ly dead when it reached his prostrat
form, and single stroke of its for
paw and crupch of it's formidabl
Z jaws which In death struggle had n
4 instinct other than to manglc aud xii
: | had ended his life in a moment