The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-10
PAID FOR SPORT BY FRIGHT.
Ryan, on a Decayed Tree, Saw Bear
Corner Buck.


From the New York Press
Binghamtons NOV. -2r-Frederiek- Ryan
has returned to this city after shooting
trip through the woods of Northern Penn
sylvania, and is recovering from an at
tack of nervous prostration caused by
an adventure in the depths Of the forest.
Large game is plentiful in the section
visited by Ryan. and he was prepared to
encounter anything, from a chipmunk up.
He secured the services of an old and
experienced trapper, who piloted him to
the hut erected in the depths of the wood
and then set half dozen bear traps
for traces of the animals were visible
Ryan is fond of wandering through the
timber alone. On one of these solitary
trips he came across the spot where a
bear trap had been fastened to a stake
but the chain was snapped off and the
trap gone. 1t had evidently been clum-
silly dragged through the underbrush as
was shown by the broken twigs and bent
branches. Ryan followed the trail for
some distance, when he came upon traces
of blood. that grew palmer and more fire.
quent as he progressed. Finally he dis
cerned in the rustic of the leaves ahead
some object moving along in Iront toward
Wedge-shaped ravine, whose walls tow
cred upward twenty-five feet
To satisfy himself and learn the lay of
. the land he scaled the trunk of a dead
tree near, and from its crotch witnessed
a strange sight. just ahead OF him, fore
ing, its way through the underbrush, was
a large bear, dragging after him the
trap, the chain of which he had broken.
In the wedge of the ravine where the
rocks converged, unconscious of the
bears approach, stood a magnificent deer
browsing the moss, Suddenly the buck
smiling the bears approach, became I'M
easy and turned to fee, only TO find his exit
barred by bruin, who crashed through the
bushes upon the scene, where, aston
ished, he stood on three legs surveying
his quarry
For a moment neither animal moved
Then the buck prepared for battle. Re
treating to the furtEest extremity of the
wedge he lowered his antlers, and stamp
ing the ground prepared for a charge. In
his crippled condition Bruin was evidently
not eager for battle, but nevertheless
with low growl, he advanced. The deer
charged his enemy, and the bear, rising
on his hind feet, received the antlers fun
in his breast Blood gushed from the
wounds made by the prongs, and the bear
made an Intellectual attempt to lay hold Of
his antagonist, which sprang nimbly away
and prepared for another charge. Three
times did the bear attempt to capture his
wary opponent, and each attempt proved
unsuccessful. Finally, tantalized beyond
endurance and weakened by loss of blood
Bruin forgot his strategic movements
and, dropping en- all fours, made rush at
the deer. Seeing his opportunity the deer
by spring, cleared Bruins body and es-
capped through the opening into the forest
Ryan, from his post raised his gun to
he felt himself falling. The distance seem
ed far, but he was only slightly Jared
and not seriously injured by his tumble
His hands were confined above his head
and he was not able for lack of space TO
bring them on level with mis- breast Far
above his head he could see the sky
through tree branches, and the odor of
rotten wood seemed overpowering Grad
ually the truth daWned upon him that he
had fallen into the trunk of hollow tree.
In vain he struggled. In his fall his rife
had slipped and fallen outside the tree In
vain he shouted. He then resigned himself
to his tomb.
Pains shot through his body until every
muscle seemed twisted on the rack over
head the blue of the sky changed to gray
and then a star twinkled. AS the hours
passed the pain increased. Strange forms
seemed to fit before his eyes. He realized
that his mind was giving way beneath the
strain. Suddenly determining on one SUI
preme effort before he abandoned life en-
tirely he drew his knees up as high as
possible, and bracing himself against the
trunk pressed with all his might He felt
the trunk give way a little and when he
lowered his knees he found he could move
his arms Again he tried it, and succeed
ed in bringing his hand level with his
shoulders; then, drawing up his feet once
more, with a supreme effort he caused
the rotten trunk to splinter apart and
found himself on the leaves. When he
had dragged himself TO the trappers hut
he found that a searching party had been
organized. But had not the wood proved
brittle he would have persisted miserably
in the tree trunk.