The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-11-17

to the skin. Assistance was rapidly
given and the hunter was soon out of
the creek. He was bruised about the
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. 1t 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
overhangipg branches of the trees. In
few hours the hotel at Hayfork was
reached and 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 q
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 II SO de-
sired. 1t was found necessary to
establish one. which was appropriate
~ named Camp Rattlesnake. 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 that 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 a 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 rs
if they all would be off on the trail be-
fare Drake could loose them He did SO
as quickly, as he could, allowing tw o
to go at time. They were off with a
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 deep canyon below
and a 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
locate him.
Suddenly the branches parted short
distance ahead of the hunters, and the
brown body of a 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 We're persistent
and the great animal was blinded tc
everything but the baying hounds
which were on his track. "a
] Without noticing the hunters, he
turned from them and rushed on to
| Al = L. II L A I. l.
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 acros.
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 q sound, but hi.
jaws moved ominously. He was ovel
seven feet long. and the hunters die
not care particularly to take any
chances with such a beast.
The hounds were in full cry. Theil
baying seemed like the cries of a thou
sand dogs. In a few moments the
bear reached the crest of the hill an6
disappeared. The hounds were few
moments behind him, and soon they
too had vanished on the other side o.
the hill. The hunters had silently
watched the hunt, but now they dug
their spurs into their horses and dashed
down the canyon. 1t was a dangerou.
Il L T.
thought of danger had gone, and il
faces were dashed by the swayine
branches and the bodies of the hunter.
stung by thorns the wounds were un
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 hound.
\ f,., 1,x< IL,