The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-02-02
AGAINST GREAT ODDS.
Peter Nelson's Bear Fight in the
Burning Timber.

Geter Nelson, OF Urdnu IidrdlS, MiCIi.,
started for the woods bounding his
clearing on the west side, but the first
thing he knew he had a fight With both
fire and bears on his hands," said q
New York Sun correspondent who
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 were encroaching rather near to
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 deer or a
bear OF Il 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-
tinue the rough-and-tumble play they
had begun in the woods.
cat 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 out 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
lust 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
mother of the cubs came crashing
along towards him. She was not forty
feet away, when Nelson dropped the
cubs and made double-quicl1 time for
the road, the bear only few jumps be-
hind him.
There are not many horses that will
not become terror striclzen at the prox-
unity of a bear, and the mere scent Of
bruin will throw some horses into
panic. Nelson's horse W as one of the
timorous kind, and its owner reached
the road iust in time to see the fright
cned aDirla' tearing down the road,
and the bUo.; aboard carecning and JOLT
inc over the rough way in @ manner
that left little hope for it's lasting long.
But Nelson had 10 time to bemoaE the
running away Of his horse for the Say
age and angry old bear was close be-
hind him ana getting nearer at every
jump. Nclson cleared the road almost
at u bound, for he knew he could not
outruH The bear if he kept in the road,
and, taking the first tree he came to.
was up in its branches out of the reach
of the bear before he knew it. and
without any clear idea of how he got
there.
The tree was not more than eight
inches through. and consequently too
small for tie bear to climb That in
creased her Iury. Ordinarily she bear
with Cubs IS satisfied with encompass
ing the s2{c'y Of her offspring bv put
ting to fight the foe that cndangered
them and loses no time in putting dis
tance between her and her family and
the threatening foe. But this one was
not inclined that way Her temper
was evidently naturally ugly; the in
reference with her cubs had increased
That ngllness tenfold; the freeing of
the object of her rage in tree so
small that she could not follow him
added to it in like degree. She made
the most desperate efforts to climb the
sapling in vain. She CRASHED it with
her great teeth, tearing out great chips
and splinters, threatening the stability
of the trunk, much to the alarm of
Nelson. She. dug away the earth at
the roots of the tree, scooping out
great hollows as if she intended to up
root it and topple it and her foe to the
ground together, accompanying her
work with the most frightful cries of
rage.
For ten or fifteen minutes the bear
varied her previous and persistent eff
forts to get at Nelson, and those min
utes had been so full Of terror and ex-
cltement to the latter that all thought
OF what he had come out there to do
mad left his mind. Finally it came to
MIN and increased his uneasiness. II
had been half an hour or more since he
lett home He noticed that n stronr
wind right out of the west had come
up. The air had been full of smoke all
day. but. as that had been the case for
many days, 1T had not caused him anv
unusual apprehension. But as he grad
ually recovered from the excitement of
the bears pursuit, seeing that he was
safe from her in the tree, he noticed
that the smoke had grown much denser.
II was so dense at the height he was
from the ground that it was BECOMING
stlflng. He noticed with increasiu .
alarm that l. was charged with heat,
winch came IL puffs and waves some.
Where from t. woods behind HIM. lie
knew what that meant. The wind had
tanned the wood fires to greater vol
ume. and was driving it forward with
increased rapidity upon the spot where
ne was held captive by the bear. SO
That 1t was likely soon to be an intol-
cradle place to remain in.
The heat increased so that Nelson
could breathe only with difficulty.