The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-08
Three of the Party Manned by
Blows Received at Close
Quarters. /.
ONE OF THE BRUTEs KILLED.
The Other, Sorely Wounded, Dashes
Into the Brush and
Escapes.

ASTORIA. Or, Sept. Frank and
Enos Walker of Olympia, their cousin,
Henry Walker. a rancher living near Oak
Point, and Eben Hoffman of Astoria had
a scrimmage with two large cinnamon
bears while hunting last Friday that they
are not likely to forget during the rest of
their lives. For miles back of Oak Point
the country is densely timbered,
with a somewhat heavy underground.
That section abounds in deer and deer
were what the four sportsmen we're look
ing for. In the forenoon they had been
fortunate enough to bring buck to grass.
After continuing the hunt for couple of
hours Henry Walker remarked that some
one better look after the slain animal.
Enos Walker and Hoffman volunteered to
bring it in.
When they arrived at the spot where
the buck had been slain they found that
the carcass had disappeared. They insti-
tuted search in the underbru and not
far distant from the natural clearing
where they left it they soon found their
venison in the possession of two cinnamon
cubs, which were ieasting upon it. Enos
Walker killed one of the cubs with rifle
ball. No sooner had the echo of the shot
reverberated than two huge cinnamon
bears rushed upon the men. Hoffman
whose back was turned TO the brutes, was
knocked down with one stroke of paw,
which landed on his right side and frac-
tured four of his ribs. Strangely enough,
the brute turned from the PROSTATE man,
who was rendered unconscious from the
shock and both bears conferred their at
tention upon Enos Walker.
Then began struggle for life. Walker
was armed with magazine rife, and this
he fired as rapidly as he could. Each bear
was wounded in several places, but not
fatally. The magazine was fast being
em piled, and Walker began 10 retreat
backward, firing when the bears got too
close. This was no easy task, as his path
way was Distracted by the underground
and the tall timber.
Walkers rapid firing attracted the at
! tention OF his brother and his cousin, who
were not a great way off. They reached
| Enos not moment too soon. The bears
had ignored unconscious Hoffman, stead
| lily advancing upon Enos. A. the instant
that Frank and Henry hove into sight the
| female bear had caught up with Enos,
who had fired the last charge in his rifle,
| and rising upon her Launches, she threw
her full weight upon him. He fell, and
the brute, weak from loss of blood, went
! down with him. A second later she was
on the fallen man, chewing away at the
clothing covering his right shoulder.
While Frank was keeping the male bear
at bay, Henry sent two rifle balls through
the head of the brute covering his cousin,
| just in time to save his life. Enos had
suffered broken collar bone and the loss
OF the tip of his nose, which greatly dis
| figures him.
| Frank Miller was not less unfortunate.
The bear with which he was fighting
knocked him down with a powerful blow,
which broke his left arm and crushed the
| left side of his face. At this stage of the
encounter bruin was frightened away by
two volleys from Henry's rifle, and he was
lost sight of in the brush. The hunters
were glad of it. They had had a surfeit of
bear hunting for one day.