Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-03-26

HOW MAX RANSOM LEARNED THIS
TRAIT OF THE BLACK BEAR.

II don't care what anybody says or
thinks, said Max Ransom of this city,
nm observant sportsman and ono who
thinks twice before he shoots, "but am
convinced that tho predominatng trait In
tho character of tho great American boar
Il "a longing for fun. mean tho black
bear. The grizzly bear and all his near rel
ativos or, as somo say, his descendants,
such as tho silver tip and tho cinnamon
bear, have no sense OF humor In them.
But the black bear, judging, as do,
from personal experience Is simply look
ing for something to have fun with whom
no goes out. had killed quite number
OF bears before had this little experience,
but have never killed one since or ut
tempted to kill one. / wouldn't have the
blood Of bear on my hands for anything.
Seems 20 mo I'd feel as IL were a muir
derer. mean a black bear, OF course
Tho way happened to change my
mind about black bears and their disposi-
tion was this Two or three Of us were up
In Pennsylvania one fall deer hunting.
One day, after standing on runway for
two or three hours, and judging that the
dogs had taken the deer In another direc-
tion, put my gun down and walked away
short distance to IA barberry bush to pick
knocked the berries all off the bush, and
they lay thick on tho ground beneath it,
I stopped down and was enjoying tho ro
frcshing mountain fruit when felt some
thing tap mo on the shoulder. / looked
up, and there, towering above mo and
with n grin on its faco as near as grin
could possibly be on "A faco not human,
stood bear at least five feet tall, being on
his hind feet, looking down Mt me, his
fore paws hanging limp against his chest.
1t was the bear, of course, that had tapped
me on tho shoulder.
"Now, hero was situation. / couldn't
get at my gun. / had knife in my
pocket, but with that universal belief
had always had that the bear Is n fierce,
ugly and pugnacious beast that wanders
about with his ego constantly skinned for
some one that no can pitch into and scat
ter about and chow up didn't think It
would be wise for mo to rise from the base
of that towering bear, right into his
clutch, you might say, and defy him with
q knife. The bear seemed to be waiting
for mo to do something was in squat
ting posture and really couldn't make up
my mind what to do. So remained just
as I was trying to think what ought to
be done under the circumstances. 1 guess
the bear must have got impatient, for he
reached down and tapped me on the shoul-
der again. 1t was just gentle tap, as IL
he were simply calling my attention to
something or other. Then made up my
mind. thought might throw myself
quickly forward, get to my feet, cut and
run and make a circuit among the trees,
supposing all the time that the bear would
be chasing me until / could get back to
where my gun was. Once there, would
have no further apprehension as to the re-
suit.
so made a surge forward, but before
my head had scarcely changed its position
the bears paw closed on my shoulder. In
an instant no jerked me to my feet, turned
me square around and there 1 stood, face
to face with him, he with paw OH each
of my shoulders. 1 thought my only
chance now was TO get my knife in action
before the bear finished me- and careful
ly slipped my hand in my pocket and got
the knife. I was stealthiy passing my
other hand over to open tho knife whom
the bear calmly reached down with one
paw, snatched it out Of my hand and
throw IL away. From the position tho
bear was in ] might have given him a
tremendous kick in the stomach and dou
bled him up so l could have got to my
gun before no got over the effects of tho
kick, but 1 didn't think of it, and I'm
glad now that didn't. 1 wouldn't have
known then what there really is in bears
and would have gono on killing them in
cold blood.
after the boar threw my knife away
he took off my hat, looked it over and then
put 1T OH his own head In a rakish way.
He was more than grinning now-ho was
actually laughing, and his eyes twinkled
mischievously. The next move no made
was, to unbutton my hunting coat and
take it off of me as slick as could be. This
he threw off to one side and then took off
my vest. He laid the vest on the coat.
'Heavens!' / said to myself. This
bear Is going to strip me SO he can chew
mo up better
after taking off my vest the bear
pushed me down on tho two garments and
deliberately and expertly drew off my
boots! Then no sat down opposite mo and
drow the boots on his own feet. After he
had dono that he yanked mo off the coat
and vest and tried to put tho vest on him
self 1t was too small, but he got tho coat
on all right, and thon no was sight that
made me tumble right down there and
howl. 1t was the funniest thing j ever
saw. My mirth seemed to please tho bear,
and he danced around like tipsy RATS
man, cutting all sorts Of fnndangoes and
pigeon wings / guess this lasted ten
minutes, and was sore all through from
Laughing, when suddenly tho bear stop
pod, cooked his head on ono sido and lis
tened n moment. Then he stripped my
coat off and tossed IL to me, and sitting
down pulled off tho boots and gavo thom
back. To take of tho hat and hand IL
lovcr was only the work of u second and
then the bear hurried away into tho brush
land disappeared. He had hardly got away
ibeioro along came my companions with
their guns. Tho bear had heard them
and no know what would happen Co him
from mon with guns, and so no got away
as quickly as ho could
"Of course my friends woro surprised
70 SEQ mo sitting thcro half stripped, and
when told them what had occurred thcy
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