Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-12-08

The crack of the weapon awoke the
echoes along shore, and as the smoke
lifted both boys leaned forward with
easerness and looked toward the
shore
You missed him. cried Row.
NO. Look yonder. The old fellow
has tunhled into the water and is il,
III the death struggle. Quick. row to-
ward him before the eddy sucks him
in. We shall lose the bear if we arc
not careful"
hoy needed no urging to force The
canoe through the water toward the
spot where something was spIashiDn
among the rocks, and Phil. who had
reloaded, was watching for another
shot, as he saw that the bear was
desperately wounded though nor yet
quite conquered.
AS the canoe neared the SPOT there
was sudden plunge on the part of the
animal and the huge bulk vanished for
Il moment
"Lost'' exclaimed Roy, disappointed
Ily
Before Phil could reply. something
the trail canoe, and the next moment
he saw the taff-rail in the grip of q
bear
The great paws, looking doubly for
mldable in the unsteady light of the
torch, with the weight of the bear,
threatened to overturn the boat, and
the ugly head, with the wide mouth
bleeding from the boys shot was
enough to send chills of terror to the
Nimrods' hearts.
/ Back OFF, cried Phil, as he saw that
the canoe was almost among the rocks
and liable to be capsized by their foe.
Roy sprang anew to the paddles. and
as Phil rose in the boat to thrust the
rifle into the bears face and terminate
i the contest, the animal made a dcs-
perate effort to climb aboard.
The situation was now full of Deril
and the rocking of the boat in the swift
waters caused the torch to scatter a
rain OF fire over the devoted boys ana
the bear, but the beast only blinked his
little eyes and redoubled his efforts to
scale the fragile rampant.
Finding that he could not get q shot
ut the bear as Roy backed the boat off.
Phil struck with all his might with
the gun, bringing the heavy stock down
upon the huge head. He shattered the
weapon by the blow, while he appar-
entity left the skull of his antagonist
uninj ured
/ In another moment the bear plunged
forward again, and The canoe at the
same time striking Il rock was cap
sized, spilling it's occupants into the
water and putting out the torch.
| All this happened in Il second. as it
seemed. and the boys thus thrown into
the stream, and at the mercy of bear
! and current struggled to right the
canoe and Chamber in again
After awhile they succeeded. and
Roy, who was fortunate enough to re-
tain one paddle, pushed the boat from
the rocks and sent it out into the river.
where IT was caught in swift cur
rent and carried along like a feather.
This is better than drowning among
the rockS-or being eaten up by the
bear said Phil, rs he looked back.
But we've lost our Thanksgiving bear
steak, | guess
Lost the bear"' cried Roy sharply as
his face Whitened. Look yonder. He
| IS still clin@ing to the stern of the
boat"
This was true, as could be seen by
the moonlight which at that particular
place fell through the trees upon the
eddylng waters. The two boys stared at
the homely head lifted above the tide
and at the sharp claws that seemed
to dig their way into the woodwork
at the stern.
The bear held on with a death grip
as the current bore the canoe and
the young Nimrods rapidly down
stream, now narrowly missing some
half-sunken trees, and now nearly cap
sizing again as Roy tried to escape
Il hidden rock
what shall we do?' cried Phil at last
as he turned a frightened face toward
his companion. 'The bear is deter
mined to prove our Jonah, and in a
Cut him loose" said Roy. "You
have your knife, haven't you?"
Phil hailed the suggestion with a
cry of joy and brought from the
depths of his pocket big jack-knife,
and in another moment he leaned to-
ward the bear in their wake.
! Instead of striking at the throat,
which was exposed, he drove the keen
blade into one of the feet near the
root of the claws and drew it toward
him.
The bear growled savagely, but Phil
brayely faced the beast and severed
! the other foot likewise
"a tree! q treer' rang out Rows voice
at this mOent, and before Phil could
duck his head the canoe struck the OBJ
stacle in the middle of the Little Red,
and in a jiffy they were in the water
again and struggling to grasp the
limbs of the lodged tree.
In this they were successful, and
when they had drawn themselves up
among the branches they looked at one
another with grim smiles. They knew
that they We're destined to pass the
night in the tree, which they did, and
when day came they found themselves
near a plantation.
By dint of shouting until they were
hoarse they made themselves heard,
and were rescued by several plantation
hands, one of whom discovered the
bear lodged in another tree a little
farther down the river.
The animal was dead, and when he
was drawn ashore the boys related
fhrs1 hi hao