Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-14
sHEKILLEDTHEBE
/ .,o,,ve scAoolmlsTRess HAD AN
ADVENTURE WITH sRufN.

II
80. Rankin is q pretty el-year'old
.,r,,stress In Cummings township,
.el' 'n,nr county. She is also heroine,
- adventure in which she was lead.
y - .harscter has proved. A 300 pound
W - hsar wus the other actor In the affair,
p''. va,s,s schoolhouso was the scene OF
az ~, Tho structure in which pretty
, ,%.. RANKIN conducts her school Is iocat-
~ .aar the banks OF Pine creek, In
,o,v settled district. Just bnok oil the
sPs's s.n,o schoolhouso stretches forest, up
on, rcsa tho mountain, which rises bUO
spa more IL is no uncommon thing TO
ICY s.are or catamounts In those woods.
~ ~ tnn,vIedpe that there were wild BEASTS
lns ., oaused Katie Rankin to carry 70.
aVus for her boarding place Is fully hall
'sn ,,a distant from tho sohoolhouSe. Dill
,r,ctIco has made her u proficient
a. nlrbt snow fell in that locality to
Az s,ntb of 90 inches. Next morning
Ma, Rankin started for her school, gong
an,,e early so that she could havo the room
s ys,m before tho pupils began to arrive.
IN. task Of trundling through the deep
snov for half mile was more than sho
s "a counted on, and when she arrived at
N Soor OF tho little schoolhouso she was
s.,iy tagged out on opening the door
~ Vas surprised to find one OF the win
snws in the rear Of tho room wide opon.
i, had apparently boon open oil night for
,he snow had dritted IN
Hurrying up tho aisle to mako fast the
,,,ndow. she WINS startled to SEQ big
hlsok bear lying on tho door close to tho
..ose She screamed, for she thought tho
,.rn that Of o tramp who had taken shell
y, In her sohoolroom from tho severe
storm Of tho night before. She was about
"a Geo when the blnck form rnisod up, and
~ was surprised still moro to find 1t not
man, but big black bear Now, here
rasa predicamont Run she must. She
snranr to the door; but, behold In her
hurry to get inside when sho arrived n
minute before, sho had failed to remove
M koy from the outside. The peculiar
MAKO Of lock made IL an impossibillty to
omen tho Same on either side without the
aid Of the key after 1t had sprung shut,
md thus was the now thoroughly alarmed
sla made u prisoner, with n big black
bear as companion.
Old bruin sat up ON his Launches and
hllnked at tho terrified girl. IL was owl
dent that her screams had awakened him
from sound sleep, and TINT he was still
drowsy was more than apparent from his
lay attitude. The bear had found the
window Of tho schoolhouse open, and tho
aperture thus afforded being not more
than three feet from tho ground ho easily
cot inside. That he hud made himself nj
homo was In evidence from tho topsy tur-
w condition Of affairs. A lunchhaskct,
lett by ono Of tho pupils, in which several
EXTRA pieces OF cake remained, was on tho
ioor empty. Books and maps and slatea
were thrown promiscuously about, and ai
tho Impairment fellow sat looking at tho
tmla little schoolma'Am he seemed sorry
for the disturbance he had caused in the
thnolroom.
At last, having surveyed her to his en-
tire satisfaction, bruin gave loud grunt,
showed two rows of tooth, thon turned
md shambled toward tho open window.
With his fore paws on tho sill ho looked
back over his shoulder at Miss Rankin,
who stood trembling at the door; then he
nised his ponderous form and slid out
into the snow. 1t wns thcn that Miss
Rankin hethought herself and rammcd
her hand into har coat pocket for the re-
volyer With this as holpmnte, and the
bear on the outside OF tho building, all hol
bravery returned. She knew that bruin
could not well got back II sho bnrrlcnded
tie windows, and she did want to shoot q
real, true bear 80 badly.
On going to tho window she was sur
pflsed 10 find that the bear had not YET
gone moro thnn ten feet toward the wood
The snow was so deep and Of such n feath
Try nature that 1t was neIt 20 impossible
Tor the wooly coated creature TO move
10 first stood on his hind legs, and witt
his fore paws boat the snow from In front
but when no attempted to move forward
DO Invariably tumbled headforemost int
The snow, which at that point had driftct
Tour feet high.
Miss Rankin judged that this was he
thance She did not stop to think tina
Tears are not usually shot with n revolver
Che watched bruin founder in the snow
,nd knew that no could not get bnck u
ier, even though tho first few shots did n,
more than iniure him, She waited unit
10 stood upright, when she levoled tn
Pistol at bis hond and fired. Simultanoou
win tho report OF the flrearm the bea
jumped into the air several feet, thon wen
miiing into the snowdrlft An instnn
hler he was again on his foot, this tim
WIN his face toward tho schoolhouso win
COW The sight of his pretty tormonto
mo the pain Of the bullet wound in hi
leaa maddened tho fellow, and his attump
wuounder through tho snow back to tn
WINDOW was terrific.
Again Miss Rankin raised her pistol
WIS time taking aim for the bear's eye
ine bullet went home" and the beAr fel
.sAin Into the snowdrift. This time h
w slow to rise, and before no accom-
pnAhod this another bullet went plowin
'uso ms body, and hb lay down to die.
the shooting at the schoolhouso wa
asAsu by those ut farmhouse just acros
Me creek, and sew vral of tho men folk
ane hurrying through the snow, ono {
IVY, %.m carrying gun. Upon arriving q
"' 1ehoolhouso tLsy were quickly Al
Wanted with the situation.
me man with tho gun made his way
sss.o The bear lay and found that II
49,, was not dead. He raised his gun
s' ~ we finishing charge, but was stoppC
s's,e he could pull the trigger by Mi
iIn. aIa, who exclaimed, Here, want
-, man stepped back. Miss Rankii
s, s.u eer position ut the window, sent al
.., s, bullet into the woully mass that Ia
~ nloasn In the snowdrift. That sh,
,,l.. mn, as ono OF the men said whC
PADS.
Ina ~ Rankin has had rug made
an. uakin 1t is nm exceptionally III
M, TWIN evor prove ready reniin