The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-17
ALTERNATING BEARS.
FIVE or THEM BEGGED Nv 4 DAT
BY 1WO PENNSFLVANIANs
a, the r,r-. Heavy snow. ia "nns,.s

beech nuts. acorns and all Kinds OF mast
known technically, in the vernacular Of the
back woods. as snack" were unusually
abundant in northern PENNSYLVANIA this
season and as winter weather was remark
ably tardy In its coming. the bears. which
dote on snack have had At least n month more
Of open revelry in the woods than they have
had in any former time these past ten years
1t is not cold weather that compcls the
bear to seek quarters for the long
winter sleep that ia peculiar char
acteristc NJ animals OF this genus. lie
doesn't mind the cold. but hunger he cannot
endure. II his foraEing grounds are open 10
him. the state OF the thermometer is no con-
cern OF HE But when snow comes and covers
the snack beyond hi' reach. lie has no further
use for open-air exercise. and at once seeks
his warm nest In n hollow log or tree. or shell
tered nook in the rocks. goes promptly to
sleep. and, unless he Is routed out by some
covetous hunter. or disturbed by the Intrusion
Of prospecting lumbermen on his retreat, he
will continue to sleep until winter is over.
II happened that the mlllnoss Of our late
fall came 10 a sudden end last week and in
twenty-four hours a foot and half OF snow
fell sending the fat and revealing bears on tho
double quick for winter quarters. But at
least one family OF bears might lust as
well have remained out. In fact, 1t might
have gone much better with them II they had
done So There we're i've OF these bears and
on Tuesday orninR their tracks were found
In the snow. only two miles from Bottoms.
they evidently having had to travel long
way to find tho wintering places they had
selected. These tracks were discovered By
Jerry Crane and John Hines. which was par.
tcuarly unfortunate for the bears. 40
Jerry and John are two most unre.
lentinE and untlring bear hunters. Thet
followed the trail of the small drove OF bears
and 1t led straight toward the wild country
lying around the foot OF Big Knotty Noun.
tain. one of the bears. big fellow. had ap.
parently founda place under tree root to suit
him for the winter midway between the
mountain and Bottoms for MS the two hunters
approached that spot the bear not having had
TIME to get sound asleep yet. bounded out
from his nest. and went ehuffling away
through the deep snow Before he got out OF
reach Jerry Crane lodged bullet In him some-
where. as the blood that marked the subse-
a4e,nt trail in the snow plainly showed.
The wound had the effect OF increasing the
among the laurels and thick timOer His
bloody trail kept the, same course as that his
before toward Big Rnctty The t tracks led 1 to
the south side Of the mountain. where they
thicket. and at last came to WI whers a large ns
Ing rock, forming a deep and dark cavern.
hdae o. ans 81 Srs s%s wSaS
had plainly been broken of and placed there
BY the t Css I'll Into ths al
bear Hc had journeyed to the retreat. but Il
being closed for the winter ~ his late COM
panions, ne passed on along the foot OF the
mountain. leaving his bloody trail.
When Crane and Hines found that tho bears
them. The tracks showed that there we're two
The hunters were inclined to favor tho coming
out OF ono bear at time to be disposed OF, for,
think it exactly prudent to have four angry
bears on their hands at once. They finally de-
and smOke out the shaggy vi inmates being f pro
pared to load with lead any bear that should
SIGHT Grams GfeDs eaSSSs ' un heed I'd
the the 81 cavern removed a some Of the laurel
to a fh isF smsks 1oss
down Into the cave: and it was not long before
neither Of them red The S sSr s9ept up he to
It out with her great paws. all the time growI-
Ing and showing her ugly teeth to the aston-
selves the bear had reiterated into the den.
The fire was cautiously rebuilt. This time
with her paw and scattered the burning sticks
about like sparks flying from an anvil ALT this
IL But she did not have time to rs Tr aGHa.
While she was still scattering the Are. o bullet
shrearh sGs tanseh "Is n
aantsrs but fel dead few Feet tI lEom the
This result satisfied the bear hunters that
hey ne had a &c adopted the proner course; They
light another fire there. As no was, about ~,
lpon Crane from the inside. The hunter heard
lad 10 time to retreat Crane stood between
lls, companion and the mouth OF the cave.
lot Dare fire. pear for e"m fSar out sRSo, ma
!rape. Besides they had not calculated on
jared for IT, Before Crane co o turn turn or az
ST., step 9 backward the snEaGed bear rose on ils
an ifst an ana seized the hunSer by each shout
avs were ONLY six inches, from his face. Bys
Is Sa0r5 Crane !erE"d his right shoulder
IS belt. he dealt the bear a terrific blow
nth It on the head. The bear Dropped
ut OF the way to give Hines a chance
nTe. but the bear was too qulck for him.
xe, closed In with the hunter. Hines, still
iraid TO shoot; and seeing that his companion
ear. drew his axe and Jumped into the light.
he thTse-eornered combat was a desperate
i'm. stood out against his ami asonists for sew.
Tsl minutes ties hIt at last sgconmbsd and fell
ali quickly sSasd his eIistsa aSs' "H"f' fin'
CTane,s clothing was nearly all torn from his
PSI and m d2 ~ ugly flesh woqnds.ths sears
! the close call no had-had been indicted
pom him by the bears teeth aud claws. The
ounds were dressed as well as they could be
lth the means at hand aud Hines then was
nAlous to get his companion back homo az
BON as possible, but the plucky Crane de-
AIRED that he would not leave those woods
ntll the two TemAi9lng bears were captured
tier few minutes rest the hunters started In
get the two cubs.
Thsy dii not expect this to be an easy job.
" the young bears must necessarily be al
Iost warnings, and thus quito formidable
nimals 10 tackle. Crane still favored the
nuking-out process. and Hines built fire at
10 mouth OF the cave. n short time one OF
trough the laurels at different place from
lat at which the first two had come out to
leir death. Presently Il broke through. il
as hall grown, with coat OF fur as black as
pal and very thick. Casting a hasty glance
round at the hunters. the young near started
make It's escape into the laurels ia the op-
osite direction. Its Hight was stopped by .
lie ball. which struck the cub IN one OF its
'Felegs. Bear llke.t got up on It's launches
FUt~T ,aAa F..II - q