The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-01-30
BEUiM WAS Arlsn mid.
The Strength Of the imagination srrsssd
by This Mans Stofy.

Tie Strength Of the tmasinns.op prsssd
Ivy This Mans stofy.
"Talkin.: about tho strength Of =
PERSONS imagination whom he II
scared" said a Sinncnahoning citi-
zen, although nobody had been talk
ing on the subject, II knows some
body who had an experience once
that showed how powerful man
can imagine under such circ,,m.
stances. That somebody was ma
An old she bear and her cubs had
been hanging around my place down
ON tho Sinrcmahono, and one day
made up my mind to go out and
put them out of tho way before they
got into somebody's trap or OTHER.
went out, and three miles up the
creek came to a couple of cubs aslcep
iii pilo of dead leaves. shot ont
both and was looking their fat car
casses over when heard a great
swapping and cracking OF brush OIL
to my right, and tho next minute
out of tho scrub bounded q tremcn.
dous big bear. knew at once this
was the mother of tho cubs, because
she wouldn't havo come at mo that
way if sho hadn't boon. l only had
time to put two bullets In the bear,
and as they didn't stop hc- dug for
q tree and Skinned up it only too
quick But the savage old bear fol.
lowed nc right up tho tree and was
chasing mo right toward tho toy
when branch Twas just moro than
reaching for broke, and down went.
passed so close to tho bear as l
went down that she made grab for
mo with ono fore paw and took from
me tho best part of my clothes. I
lit at the bottom Of tho tree in pile
of leaves and didn't hurt myself. !
Just gave ono look up and saw the
bear coming down on the tumble,
lust as had come down. didn't
wait for any more, but struck for
home through tho scrub oaks as
tight as my legs could carry me.
"Crishy-to- crash through the
brush, right at my heels, / could
hear tlat bear on my trail. l dug my
toe nails in tho ground, and how !
did put on steam to get out Of them
> woods! But, no matter how fast !
ran, right behind me ! could hear
that bear scram bling after me, snap
8 ping and snarling. was finally on
!. the point of giving up tho race and
doing my best in a tussle with tho
J. bear when came out on Pete Ware,
: who was hunting along there.
: "Shoot her, Pete, Iyollcd. Shoot
y hor and mako q sure shot, for in ten
3 seconds moro she II have her clutches
s on me if you dontr
Q "'Shoot what?' Pcte yc1fs back
; II don't see nothin to s1lootV
d Just then stabbed my too ant
q foil. hadn't dared to take the tim'
8. to look behind mo before that, bu
9, as tumblcl l gave one look owe
!. my shoulder, expecting that it woul'
ID be my last look anywhere. The boa
l. wasn't behind mo.
"Whcrc is shop says to Petc q
g soon rs I could catch my wind.
is "tWhcrc's who?' says Pctc.
Y. "'Thc bcar! says |.
"'Ihain t seen no bearr says Pett
"'Sho hain't been moro than on
Jump behind mo for something lik
~ three milesr says I. why, coul
- fcel her breath when hollercd
I'D you to shoot hor!
III "Pete looked ut me rs il he wa
}" scared, and told him to como wit
W. his gun and tako my back track, an
81 I'd show him. We won't back ov'
~ the whole of tho three miles hi
TIL raced through the scrub oaks, ar
what do you think? There laid Il
81. old bear at the foot of the tire
" deader than ~ stone! She hadn't tn
$, en- step OIL my track, because DO
'no of my ballots had hit nor vitals, 81
when she camo tumbliug out of Il
., tree she came down dead But \
l ~ body was ever chased by o bear
. greater perfection than was chas
'n' by that bear over those three mi
of scrub oak barren. But, then, I
lon got a particularly active imagir
'no tion," said the man from the SIM
"se mahoning, and no one disputed hi
l'o'' Now York Sun.