The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-09-13

cited Imagination they looked as large
as bushel measure, and l could al
most see the flying form of 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 trouble 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 a shot from Blaxe's rifle
rang through the forest and it's rever.
berations had scarcely died away when
the voice of Kingsbury gave answer
faint and long distance off. The dogs
were away in a moment and the yells of
our partner at intervals mingled with
the tongue of the dogs
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 a
little time they quit barking. A few
through the brush, followed by noise
which greatly resembled an immense
bowlder bounding down hill.
Look out!' yelled Pennington, and
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 a roar he rushed at
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. It came at the small trees,
tried to climb them, tore the bark and
snapped them with mouth which
looked yard long. In the excitement
of the moment l dropped my rife
while shifting my position, and as it
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 a perfect fusillade,
and perhaps a hundred shots were fred
before the bear gave signs of weaken
ing. One of it's monster legs was
broken and it's sides were plowed with
bullets. Risdon, who, by the way, came
from this city, was anxious to do good
work and undertook to change his posi-
ton. His foot had torn the bark from
the limb of the little tree and it was
slick as ice. In an instant, as ne stepped
about, his feet went from under him
and he was precipitated to the ground.
The bear, blind and about dying,
heard the fall and stumbled and ran to
the tree. The fall had stunned Risdon,
Or else he could have got away.
But the fierce brute was upon him in
an instant more. Its immense jaws
closed on his thigh just at The hip and
the bones snapped like twigs.
We almost sprang from the tree and
at short range poured from the two re-
manning guns broadside into the ami
NAL which ended it's life. But our
friend was insensible and dying. The
mass of inert meat fell across him.
With the utmost difficulty the carcass
was removed from our PROSTATE com
rade to find that the claws of the bear
had cut through his body under the left
arm, penetrating the cavity and tear