The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-31

DNllu III e dt tie mouth oil lie cave anu smoke
out the shaggy inmates, being prepared to load
with lead any bear That should appear the in
staut IL showed its head in sight. Crane crept
cautiously mp 10 the cavern. removed some OF
the laurel bOugns and started fire rs far in id
as he thought IL safe TO venture. The smoke
rolled down into he cave and il was not long
before movement was seen among The laurels
and the head of a huge she bear appeared. Her
actions SD surprised the woodsmen hat neither
OF them fired. The bear crept lin toIhe fire AT
the mouth OF the cave ana tTampled il OuI with
her great paws, all Tie Time growing and show
Ing her ugly teelh to the aSiOuished hunters.
When they recovered themselves the bear had
reireated into the den.
The fire was cautiously rebuilt This time
the OLD bear cam 1t IL furiously. She beat IL
with her paw and scattered the burning sticks
about Ike sparks flying rom an anvil, all this
lime snaTlinE anu SnapplDg her Jaws sayagey
But she did not have time 10 retreat again
While she was still scattering the fire. buet.
from Cranes rifle went crashing into her brain
She broke through the tangled laureis and
rushed with wide-open jaws toward The hunter
but fell dead few feet from the mouth OF hrl
den.
This result satisfied The bear hunters thai
they had adopted the proper course. They
dragged the dead bear away from the cave
opening and Crane crepJ forward again To
light another III there. AS he was about ap-
plying The match o the pile of stcSs, another
bear, 1ully ~ large the dead one, rIished
upon Crane from the inside. The hunter heard
the bear coming, and sprang 10 his feet But
lie had DO time TO retreat Crane stood be-
tween his companion and the mouth of the
cave, aud as The bear came out Hines did
not dare fire for fear OF shooting
Crane. Besides. they had not calculated on
such happening rs this and were unprepared
for II. Before Crane could turn or take a step
backward The enraged bear rose on its hind feet
and seized the hunter by each shoulder with its
great paws, While its swapping jaws were only
six inches from his face. BY a great effort
Crane jerked his right shoulder free. and
quickly drawing his brush AK from its belt he
dealt the bear terrible blow with 1t on the
head. The bear dropped to It's feet and Crane
sprang back out OF the way 10 give Hines a
chance to fire. but the bear was too quick for
him, and in spite of the blows Crane dealt with
his AK closed In with the hunter. Hines. still
afraid TO shoot, aud seeing that his companion
would have 10 have help 10 get the best of the
bear, drew his ak ana jumped into the fight.
The three-cOrnered combat was a desperate
one. The bear In spite OF the odds against him,
stood out against his antagonists for several
minutes, but at last succumbed and fell bleed
ing and dying at their feet, where Il rifle ball
quickly ended his existence.
Grams clothing was nearly all torn from bis
body. and dozen ugly flesh. wounds-tle sears
of which Will TO the end OF his life remind him
OF the close call he had-had been inflicted
upon him by the bears teeth and claws. The
wounds were dressed as well as they could be
with the means at hand, and Hines then was
anxious 10 get his companion back home as
soon as possible, but tile plucky Crane declared
that lie would not leave those woods until the
two remaining bears were captured. After a
few minutes rest the hunters started in 10 get
the two cubs.
They did not expect this to be an easy Job
for the young bears must necessarily be almost
yearlings, ami thus quite formidable animals
10 tackle. Crane still favored the smoking ont
process, and Hines built a fire az The mouth of
the cave. In short time one of tie bears WAS
heard making an effort To breaS through the
Eaurels al Il different place from that at which
the first TWO had come out 10 their death.
Presently It broke through IL was half grown,
with a coat of fur as black coal aud very
thick. Casting a lIasy glance around at the
hunters, the young bear started to make it's es-
cape into the laurels in the opposite direction.
Its flight was stopped bv rife ball. which
struck the cub In one OF it's furelegs Bear
like, IL got up on its Launches and turned a
full aud savage front 10 its foes, growing and
snarling furiously, but a single shot brought it
10 the ground dead.
Then Crane and Hines tried the smoke evic-
tion GU The other cub. but they could not force
him TO show himself. They had no doubt that
the fourth bear was IN the cavern and failing
10 smoke him out they Ieconnoitered for Il It. CO
where they could make an opening through
which they might get sight al the interior OF
the den. They at last succeeded in cutting Il
hole through The laurels In the rear OF the rock
and uncovered the depths OF The cavern. II
was so dark within, though, that nothing could
be seen. Crane was too nearly used up To
creep in and risk a fight with the cub In the
darkness, and Hines said he had rather not,
himself; so tney built an immense fire al he
opening and the blaze lighted up the interior
so I'll AZ they discovered the last bear crOuching
In The further corner of the den. Two bullets
sufficed TO Kill IL and il was dragged out III
triumph.
Crane reluctantly consented TO return home
without making an effort TO bag the bear they
had wounded that morning but lie found that
! further pursuit was entirely out or the ques-
ton. They returned 10 Bottoms, reaching here
/ about O'Clock In the AFTERNOON. number OF