The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-10-17

from the surface, al opening WAS maze
in the roof of alarge, dry. bone-littered
cave; but, though undoubtedly his
home, the great bear was nowhere to
be seen.
The disappointed men stared blankly
at one another; but Jack. more shrewd
than any of them, had been all the
time watching the water. Now he ex-
citedly yelled:
Look! look! old Devil Bears MAX
ing for the other shore. See! there's
sort of wavy motion above where he's
swimming. Pick up your rifles and
wen all shoot together when he shows
himself at the other bank"
The river was at this place about one
hundred yards wide, and the water, /
being backed up by dam below, was
very still and deep; but the rifemen,
anxiously scanning its sunlit surface,
had no difficulty in tracing the sub
merged monsters progress by slight
shimmering line left in his wake
Steadily and with wondrous speed he
drew toward the opposite shore; in
few seconds he must come into view,
all thought, while Mr.. Monroe said:
Gas soon as the brute's head and
shoulders are clear, boys, shoot straight
and altogether, when l give the word.
1t won't do to let the old villain escape
this time
Very sensible advice, but one slight
obstacle existed to its successful
adoption, the Devil Bear had no inten-
ton of exposing his head and shoul-
ders.
The tell-tale ripple mad extended to
within a few feet of the farther bank,
and every man stood with poised rifle,
expecting to see the said head and
shoulders appear. But they didn't.
Their diabolically cunning owner
knew trick worth dozen of that
He did not banker after a woodland
ramble just then.
whats become of the brute?
don't see a sign of him any more.
Guess he's got an underground parlor
, on that side, too" exclaimed Joe
Brooks, a veteran hunter.
, Jack Monroes sharp young eyes were
not so easily deceived, however. After
a moments keen watching, he said:
mo, he's lying there, like wounded
, duck, with nothing but the point of his
nose out Oh lHe WdGST ocCs Tx Nv III
: line with the hemlock sapling."
Thus directed, the whole crowd
- could now distinguish the protrudlng
snout and (of course Immediately be-
>, hind it, the scarcely immersed head to
:, which it was attached.
> Now boys, you want to draw
= mighty fine sight, just as if you were
y shooting at a gobbler's topknot twenty
rods off, " said Joe Brooks. Lets all
aim nine inches back of the critters
= nose, and pull when Allen gives the
I, word There's not more than couple
= of inches of water OYER that big skull,
y and we stand SO much higher than it
: that our bulletsll cut through all
~ right, guess"
II Sixteen heavy rifles came up to their
- owners shoulders, wavered for one
, second, End then remained steady as ii
- each ls.ng barrel was fixed in wise
~ "A y ready?" questioned Monroe. A
~ softly murmured Yes" in reply.
i "Eire!'
l. Each man had raised the back sight
l. of his rife to the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
&c notch all were good marksnfen, and
Is sixteen bullets, simultaneously alight
Il ing, struck almost in bunch the
( selected spot; whereupon the gian'
bear, without a groan or cry, looseneo
10 his hold of the bottom, rose in hi
. whole monstrous length to the surface
81 and fioated motionless on the Grim
:" soned water.
is Then, when the jubilant hunters ha'
Ia yelled themselves hoarse, Joe Brook
said:
ry The old rascals SO fat that he can
'g sink. Let's make a raft and go over &
Id him"
to Ten minutes sufficed for these skilled
e, axmen to chop off three dry cedar logs
place them side by side in the water
IS with smaller pieces across, cut tw
of showing poles, push over to the dea
he bear, tie Turks leash around his lowe
nd Jaw, and tow him ashore 1t was the
p found that four bullets had pierced tn
Mt brute's brain, while number of other
he had cut through the scalp and glance
ir off the thick skull.
ed Don't touch knife to it yet, boys,
Est said Mr.. Monroe, It'll Jack brings tn
air big steelyards from the house We
by weigh the fellow just as he lies.
CO., J6Ch oCdliA pOhSNt 6ASSANy N''N.
'er quickly returning with lot of roE
H. and the great steelyards general
ed used for weighing fat hogs and slaugl
Try tered beeves. BY the aid of These, tt
he horizontal limb of big tree, and til
strength of half dozen men, I'll
re weighing was finally accomplishe'
ted the immense carcass tipping the bea
err at seven hundred and six pounds, full
,ed three hundred more than that of al
black bear ever before killed. SO far
ler the Oldest hunter knew, in Michiga
be- The skin, when taken off, measure
the within a fraction of seven feet fro
nd. snout-tip to the base of the stump
.ic- tail; and nearly eight gallons of {
on were afterward tried out from ii
Ter great masses of fat which not on
we covered, but lined, the defunct ar
Ind mails body. The hams only we
saved for eating, and these looked lii
CHI those of a mammoth premium hog.
int Happening to be at that time pre-
of pecting along Marquette river, /, m
self, saw the Devil Bears pelt al
out hams two days after the brute w