The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-02-10
AGAINST GREAT ODDS.
Peter Nelson's Bear Fight in the
Burning Timber.

TWAS to fight FIRE and not bear tina
Peter Nelson, of Grand Marais, Mich.
started for the woods bounding hi
clearing on the west side, but the frs
thing he knew he had fight with boil
IRE and bears on his hands," said
New York Sun correspondent wht
hunts annually in the Michigan woods
There had been forest fires of more
or less extent in the vicinity for several
days, and at last Nelson discovered that
they We're cncroaching rather near tc
his clearing, SO he hooked his horse to
his blackboard and drove up the road
that would take him within two or
three hundred yards of the burning
bush, where, by back firing judiciously.
he thought he could remove all danger
from the advancing flames. Whenever
anyone starts to travel two or three
miles through that wild country he
takes his Winchester with him if he
has one, and If he hasn't one any kind
of gun he has, for game is thick out
there. and person is liable at almost
any moment to run across q deer or q
bear or wolf. or have one run across
him. So Nelson took his Winchester
along. He had to drive about mile
and half before he came TO the mar
row piece Of woods lying between the
road and the burning timber, and
which he intended to cross to reach the
latter to fight the fire. just as he
reached that narrow strip he saw two
little bear cubs tumble out of the
bushes at that side of the road and con-
tinuc the rough-and-tumblc play they
had begun in the woods.
"At sight of the cubs Nelson stopped
his horse. The black and shaggy little
bears looked SO cute that Nelson
couldn't resist the temptation to cap
ture them alive. He got ont of his
wagon, leaving his rifle leaning against
the seat But the cubs didn't want to
be captured, and, at the approach of
Nelson, ran into the woods. on the side
of the road opposite the one they had
just appeared on, as fast as their fat
little legs would carry them. Nelson
followed, but the cubs got two or three
rods into the woods before he overlook
them. He grabbed one of them and
was about to seize the other one when
he heard a savage growl in the bushes
ahead of him, and the next instant the
mother of the cubs came crashing
along towards him. She was not forty
feet away, when Nelson dropped the
cubs and made donble-quick time for
the road, the bear only few jumps be-
hind him.
There are not many horses that will
not become terror-striclSen at the prox-
unity of a bear. and the mere scent of
bruin will throw some horses into
panic. Nelson's horse as one of the
timorous kind, and its owner reached
the road just IN time to see the fright
cncd animal tearing down the road,
and the blackboard carecning and Jolt
ing over the rough way in a manner
hat left little hope for its lasting long.
But Nelson had no time to bemoan the |
away of his horse, for the saw
age and angry old bear was close be-
hind him and getting nearer at every |
Jump. Nelson cleared the road almost |
IT bound, for he knew he could not
'ntrun the bear if he kept in the road,
ind, taking the first tree he came to,
vas up in its branches out of the reach
# the bear before he knew il, and
without any clear idea of how he got
here
1.-THE tree was not more than eight
nchcs through. and consequently too
mall for the bear to climb. That in
reased her fury. Ordinarily she bear
nth cubs is satisfied with encompass
az the safety of her offspring by put
ing to flight the foe that endangered
hem, and loses no time in putting dis
ancc between her and her family and
nc threatening foe. But this one was
OF inclined that way. Her temper
as evidently naturally ugly; the in
,rference with her cubs had increased
lat ugliness tenfold; the freeing of !,
le object of her rage in tree SO
nall that she could not follow him
ided to it in like degree. She made
le most desperate efforts to climb the
lpling in vain. She CRASHED It with .
sr great teeth. tearing out great chips
Id splinters, threatening the stability
the tBunk. much to the alarm Of
olson. She dug away the earth at
e roots of the tree, scooping out
eat hollows as If she intended to up
OF It and topple it and her foe to the
'ound together. accompanying her
Drk with the most frightful cries 81
ge. I.
Fer ten or fifteen minutes the bear
rief he,- y,r@ov;<s,a av,<3 vxore;a<Av,$ a. 1 :