Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-10-22
FACING A GRIZZLY.
HoWA BOY KILLED AN ANGRY BEAR
WITH A BLOW or AN Ak.
His Brave Act Saved the Life OF One of
His com4'anions The Geology Class
Found Something In the Rookie. 1t
Wasn't Looking For.

oohslsNluS Vi INC PROFESSOR ana ten pu-
pills, made an excursion into the range
with the object Of taking d practical
lesson among the limestone beds at the
back Of Lincoln park.
Away we wenf---feeling very hilar-
ious at the idea Of making AN independ-
ent expedition. even with Blinl1ers for
a Notwithstanding over rocks and
fallen trees, chasing squirrels and chip
munks, throwing stones at birds and
rabbits, and behaving generally Just
IKE what we were--a parcel of school
boys.
Presently we emerged from the trees
and came out upon another little open
parklike stretch Of ground. Half way
across it our attention was suddenly &C.
tracted 10y stir among some high grass,
and ont jumped little, dark colored,
short legged animal, which looked like
woolly pig--if there be any such
thing in nature.
Away it scuttled, and away we all
went, with shout, in pursuit
Phil happened to be some distance
befih7 at the moment being busily en-
/ gagged in digging a tarantula's nest out
1 Of the ground with his knife: but as
soon as he saw what we We're doing lie
came racing af Il us, shouting: Look
outl Look out! It's A.
We did not hear what, we were maxi
ing SO much noise ourselves.
But the little animal, whatever it
was, WAS too quick fer US and disap-
| peared into some willows while we were
still 20 yards behind. Theme moment
the willows waved and bent and out
bounced y great She bear--a grizzly!
With yell e dismay we all turned
and, scattering ike q flock Of sparrows
whom a cut jumps into the midst Of
+ them, fed for the nearest trees Blink
ers, quito forgetting THAT he was the
general of the little expeditionary force,
made such nse Of ms long hess that he
T was safely up q tree before any 81 the
1 rest Of Us had reached enc.
AS for me, never reached one at all
In turning to ian / tripped over the
ar, and though ! was Up again ia an in
slant the check made ne the last OF the
fUgltivts
The chase was very soon oyer. Iii six
Jumps, rs it seemed, the great bease
caught me- and, with ono blow Of her
paw on The middle 81 my back sent me,
face downward, 70 the ground, wifh eve
ery atom u breath driven ont Of my
body.
This last circumstance was a good
thing for me; could aot have moved d
muscle il had wisheato. Consequently
tlla bear supposed that j was dead, and
instead Of teaung me up INTO small
pieces, IS Ie2poasa5l, slsa hegan shifting
me All oNer ana talling me about with
her claws.
Suddenly, however aha ceased aud
began 20 gr0wl and [ heard Blinkors
mp ia Ills tree call ont, eco back You
can do any good You'll only get
yourself killed too From which / con-
cluded THAI Elinlers and tile bear Lad
one thought ia common; they both sup
/ posed mo 10 he daad
| was beginning TO recover my breath
a little oy this time and IN my anxiety
u 400 what was going i.rward | made
d slight movement with one arm, and
III an instant this bear had that aIn be-
tween her teoth II hurt hie 50 horribly
that / tainted aad IA that happened
aftcraard | gathered from tho other
boys
hl, when ho saw mo knocked down,
instead o. e.smbiug MP a tree like the
resi-, ran baek tn where / had chopped
tae IT'S. aud, p-cling II up, advanced to
my rescae.
It was a mad thing to do, there il no
\ doubt about that; Int Fhil did it--and
without a thought Of las own danger
\ 1t was III vain that Blinkms called to
him to so back; he did uot seem TO hear
but kept coming on SLOWLY, with his
eyes fNad on tie bear aud tho AK held
in readiness TO strike.
Tho bear dropped my arm and ad-
yancod u step standing across my body,
growing aad turning np her Inns until
all hcr great white teeth were exposed;
but st4ll Phil ca,ae az. At six feet dis
tance ho stepped Til boar took Il step
forward, ANA then another. and then,
with All the strength of his body doubled
by the intense excitement Of the mo-
ment Phil stu;ck ct her with such force
and precision that he split her skull
clean in twa
But even III dying, the bear succeeded
III doing some mischief
Wlth II last conyulsive effort she
struck ont and, with her great claws,
tore away the frout of Pills COAT, vest
and shirt and made three deep cuts all
across his chest iroa tho left shoulder
diagaually downward. Another inch
ard Phil hus certainly have boon killed.
As it was. - stood fer moment sway
ing to aud fto, and then ten forward
anon tho dead body Of the bear -"Griz-
( zly Phil, by sidtord + Hamp, IN 81.
Nicholas
The warden Of Oxford.