The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-07-09
A BEAR THAT COULD BOX.
He Puts Lumberman with an Az "a
Rout.

Some time THIS Spr1ng-nobody has
wet been able to fix the date-John
Moran, lumberman, of Ashland, Me-,
l,net bear in the woods and held q
{short conference with the same.
Along in. April, when the maple sap
had gone aloft to make new summer
were taking sky baths to put fresh tints
on their wings, Moran was going into
the woods to store away his sugar
troughs. He was a mile or so from
home, jogging along with his AK over
his shoulder and his dinner pail dang
ling from the ak handle, when a sharp
turn in the path brought him up
against a great hemlock tree which the
wind had blown down.
Moran was feeling uncommonly well
that morning, and, not wishing to
make wide detour around the tree,
he put his hand on top of the rough
bark and made ready for high vault.
With a caution born of experience,
he looked to see where he would land.
and. as his head peered above the log,
something heavy and hairy shot up
from the other side and hit him square
" across the ear. AS soon as he, had
collected his wits enough to look about
him, he found he was under a small
l<pruce tree two rods back from the
lYog. and saw his dinner, consisting of
fresh roast pork and doughnuts, scat
tered about on the dead leaves in way
that made him feel sad.
Rubbing his eyes, he gave another
look, and saw a large bear sitting up
against the side of the log and over
| hauling his dinner with the air of an
cpicure. With his right paw the bear
held up one of Moran's doughnuts to
his eyes, and with its left paw it was
gathering in all of the roast pork in
sight.
Moran's only weapon was light,
sharp ak, with tough ash handle.
Armed with this he approached the
bear boldly, and did not stop until
Just outside paw range. Then he made
several swift passes with his AK to
learn how many boxing lessons the
bear had taken, and was not over
pleased to find that he had met a wood
land boxer of great promise. Every
time he tried blow with the edge of
the ak the bear countered on the side
or handle and avoided a serious wound.
Eventually he struck with the fiat of
the AK, and was pleased to see the bear
cut its paw half off in the counter.
The bear hit so hard that it might
have cut its own head off if it had not
ducked adroitly at the moment death
was imminent.
Moran's next blow was given with
the force of a catapult, and was aimed
straight for the bears skull. With 4
left upper cut the bear not only di-
verted the AK, but pulled it from his
hands and sent ii flying far into the
woods 1t was now a man against {
lame bear, and Moran knew that the
Odds were all in favor of the bear
While Moran was feeling in his pockets
for a iackknife the bear again applied
the doughnut to its eye and examined
~; Ne .rl>r i -.
Moran saw it was of no use to tigh'
such cold-blooded monster With {
jackinife. So he went around the tree
and started for his sap camp. which
was only 20 or 80 rods beyond. He was
pleased to see the bear following hin
at distance. and fairly shouted with
9lee when he reached the camp anC
found his two-edged wood AK hanging
above the bunk. In a few minutes he
had stripped TO his trousers and under
shirt, and. swinging his AK aloft, he
made dash for the enemy.
The bear ducked and jumped ahead
passing under Moran's arm and facing
about for the next play. Two quick
feints were parried with professional
skill, and then came a sweeping blow
straight down from above. The bear
held out its well foot, and the aX-handle
drove it nearly to the ground. Lean
ing forward, the bear pushed up on
the handle, and the upper edge, glanc-
ing from its teeth, entered the flesh
that held the bears nose to its upper
jaw. cutting cords and tendops until
the keen blade was hidden in the fur.
Moran hardly knows what happened
next. He heard the bear growl IN pain,
and saw the skin on the front of the
head furl up and roll back, like the
hood of an overcoat. Then a bears
head, bony, skinless and grinning,
emerged from Che mass of hair, and the
bear was after Moran baldheaded. 1t
was long, hard run over the windfalls.
through the swamps, and up and down
hill. Every time Moran looked back
he saw that grinning skull, and the
terror put wings on his feet as he fed
for home, leaping among cradle knots
end yelling at every bound. When he
reached the house he was so grateful for
his escape that. he never thought to
look for the bear, but just barred the
door and swore in language that was
unintelligible even to his own family.
! st. Louis Fost-Dispatch.