The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-18

of the lake-that was pretty evident
The waves were rising, the Storm was
beginning to sweep down the mountain
side. Still, I was naturally delicate
about asking a favor from one for
whom / had two shark s-teeth traps
set in the woods, and gun loaded
with fourteen successive ounces of lead.
There was no time to consider the
matter, however; and really it seemed
better to be clawed, chewed, or even
Rugged to death than to be helplessly
| drowned. So swan around the bear,
approached his tanks, and very tiInidly
and respectfully put out one hand and
got hold of his furry hide. There was
protesting growl on the part of bruin,
but he made no other objection to TAX
ing me in tow, and for few moments
we foated along very socially >togeth-
er. Then the storm broke upon us
with all its fierceness, and l actually
ceased to fear the bear in the turmoil
of the elements, and, drawing closer TO
his sheltering side, buried both hands
in his long fur and hung on for dear
life 1t was perfect hurricane that
burst over US. The wind whipped off
the crests of the waves as if they had
been SO many white hats; the light
nlng flashed and darted all around us,
and the air was torn by crash on crash
of rafting thunder. 1t was not long
before the bear was as fir ightened as l,
and began to swim, dragging me along
with him. 1 actually believe he was
grateful for my company, in that terri
flying tumult of sky and water, and I
am sure was about as thankful for
his as a man could well be. It was
impossible to see dozen yards ahead,
but the bear seemed to know by
instinct where the nearest land
lay, and swan steadily on
apparently as little affected by
the waves as ship of three hundred
tons burden. Occasionally / heard him
snort and blow, when the wind whipped
off whitecap and tossed it squarely in
his face; but he had ceased to growl at
his companion in danger, though one
of my hands had sought out his stub of
tail, and must have given it some
painful wrenches, as the rollers tossed
me to and fro.
Just as the fury of the storm was
abating, we got into shaliower water,
and once in awhile could feel my feet
touch bottom. l held on however, IN
til the shore doomed up in sight
through the ram, and then cast OF
from the bear with an audible:
THANK you, old fellow!" and let him
make his way to land first. saw him
emerge, dripping, from the water,
climb the bank, and disappear in the
woods. For several minutes, however,
] stood waiting, waist-deep in water,
until the coast should be safely clear
Finally, / ventured ashore and lay
down to get my breath and recover
from my exhaustion.
AS soon as I felt able to walk, I
started, naked. for camp around the
lower end of the lake. and reached its
shelter just as the other fellows,
drenched with their long walk through
the woods, came in from trouting. l
told them my story, but they thought L
was guying them, and refused to be-
Eeve me until next morning. went
out and,snapped both my bear-traps and
buried them in the woods. Then they
knew was speaking IN earnest when
l said that l had made up my mind
never to kill bear, unless he first
tried to kill me.-Chicago Tribune