The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-10-04

| body. and lame. He had no change of
| clothing and had to be content with
emptying his boots of the water. The
harness was patched up and the jour
ney was resumed. II was still twenty
five miles from the camp of Col. Drake.
1t was late in the afternoon and the
prospect was none too pleasant. The
! journey was made, however, in the
/ darkness. The trail was narrow and
uneven. 1t was so dark that the hum
ter had to keep his hand before him to
save his face and eyes from the thick
| overhanging branches of the trees. In
few hours the hotel at Hayfork was
reached and a dinner obtained. In a
few minutes the journey to brakes
camp was resumed. 1t was sighted at
fifteen minutes past one o'clock in the
morning, and the visitors set up a
howl like that of Comanches. Drake
was aroused. his dogs began barking
and the visitors were made welcome.
The camp fire was renewed, and Stone
was soon rolled in his blankets.
An hour before daylight he was up
again and the hunting party was
| formed. The horses were made ready,
provisions were packed. and every
thing prepared for a camp if so de-
sired. 1t was found necessary to
esta blish one, which was appropriate
ly named Camp Rattlcsnake. All day
the party travelled, and toward even
ing camp was made Next morning
before daylight everybody was astir
and ready for the coming hunt.
The dogs were eager. and it needed no
| suggestion to see thai they were dan
gerous. There were nine of them. Rus
sian blOodhounds. None are more
savage in an attack than they. Just
at dawn the trail of bear was struck.
Eight of the dogs were leashed in pairs.
and the NINTH Crowder. was twenty five
or thirty yards in the lead. Suddenly
he threw up his head and bayed He
had scented a trail. Drake rushed
ahead and let the leader go on. The
cry of Crowder made the other dogs
wild. They bayed and tugged and
| tugged at their collars. 1t seemed as
if they all would be off on the trail be-
| fare Drake could loose them. He did so
as quickly as he could, allowing two
to go a time. They were off with
series of yowls which echoed and re-
echoed in the mountains. Through
the brush. over fallen trees. timbers
and logs they bounded after the great
game which had been scented
The trail was on the side of the
mountain, with a deep canyon below
and heavy ascent on the other side.
| The scent was up the hill. The bear
had started on the ridge of the hill,
three hundred yards away from the
hunters. The crash of branches could
be heard as the great animal made its
way through the brush. The noise
was almost terrifying, as the bear
| could not be seen. and with the fright
full baying of the dogs it was hard to
| loca tie him.
| Suddenly the branches parted a short
distance ahead of the hunters, and the
brown body of monster bear was
seen. He was going with terrific
speed. and the hunters were directly
| in his path He did not see them
| though. The hounds were persistent.
and the great animal was blinded to
everything but the baying hounds
which were on his track.
Without noticing the hunters, he
turned from them and rushed on to
| their back track. About one hundred
yards away horse had been left graz
ing The bear saw it and turned
again, retracing the ground he had
travelled SO rapidly. When no more
than twenty-five yards away he saw the
hunters in his path and swung across
| the canyon. For over five hundred yards
he could be seen zigzagging up the side
Of the hill. his great body crashing
! through the brush. The fleeing ami
NAL uttered hardly a sound. but his
jaws moved ominously. lie was over
seven feet long, and the hunters did
not care particularly to take any
chances with such a beast.
The hounds were in full cry Their
| baying seemed like the cries of thou
sand dogs. In a few moments the
bear reached the crest of the hill and
disappeared, The hounds We're few
moments behind him, and soon they
too had vanished on the other side of
! Ilic hIIl lit IuultlS Iidtl SllcuIlN
watched the hunt, but now they dug
their spurs into their horses and dashed
down the canyon. 1t was a dangerous
chase, but in the excitement all
| thought of danger had gone, and if
| faces were dashed by the swaying
| branches and the bodies OF the hunters
stung by thorns the wounds were I'M
noticed.
| In an incredibly short space of time
| the hunters were on the crest of the
hill over which the bear and hounds
had disappeared. The crashing of the
branches and the baying of the hounds
were becoming fainter, but, though
the chase was now a long one, few
minutes were lost. The splendid pros
pect held the hunters. Far away in
the midst of the mountains the north
and the south forks of the Trinity
could be seen. All around the noun
tains were covered with snow. Far in
the distance Mount Shasta could be
seen and almost at the feet of those
who looked was the Hayforll valley,
with its golden grain. 1t was early
morning, the air was clear, the place.
with the exception of the distant bay
ing of the hounds, was solemn in its
stiffness.