The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-01-18

Ind stunted pines, from which proceed
ed the most awful grumblings and
bowls imaginable.
just as the party appeared on the
top all at once out from the stubble
came retreating the big Swede, fol-
lowed by an enormous silver-tip who
was driving him slowly backward to-
ward the edge of the precipice. The
man was bleeding badly, nearly all Of
one side Of his face being torn away.
the result Of wicked blow from the
huge paw of tn emonster. The bear,
on the other hand, was quite: as badly
wounded as his antagonist. His head
was mass Of gore the lower jaw was
simply hanging by a few shreds, and
one Of his hind legs was broken. The
Swede was backing slowly, holding in
his right hand large hunting knife,
which every second he would plunge
to the hilt in the shoulder Of his shay
~ foe. At one thrust Of the Swede the
bear caught him fairly with return
whack Of his monstrous paw that
must have broken the mans arm, for
he quickly transferred the blade to his
left hand, and then gave back blow for
blow, as best he could. The end came
so suddenly that the horror-stricken
comrades of the doomed man could
render. no possible assistance. Even
had they started on a run, they could
not have reached their friend in time,
and, to risk shot with a rifle would
have been just as dangerous to the
Swede as to the bear. Step by step
the man was forced back, until he
huge paw Of the monster. The bear
pice.
There seemed no hope for him un-
less he could assume the aggressive in
turn, and this could not be done, as the
man was doing his utmost, and still
the silver-tip was getting the better Of
the fight. All at once the desperate an
fmal raised his huge paw and brought
it down with terrific force upon the
head of the man. The scalp was torn
away by this last stroke and the poor
fellow was blinded by his own blood.
Again the bear struck him, and the
Swede tottered to the brink, with moth
ing in reach to lay his hands on by
which he might save himself. Evi-
IDENTIFY, with the desperation of death
staring him in the face Franck did the
only thing possible under the circum-
stances. AS he was swaying back
from him the useless knife, and in des-
pair Of all hope, madly clutched the
beast around the neck.
The force Of the last onslaught car
ried the bear too far, for the next mo-
ment both silver-tip and man. in that
awful embrace of death, went rolling
over. the frightful preciplce together
and were dashed into an unrecogniza-
BILE mass on the rocks and pines, hum
dreds Of feet below. Franck's rife
was found in bunch Of Quaking as
pens, broken short off at the stock.
There were no cartridges in the cham
Der, which proved that the seven-foot-
or had certainly exhausted his maya
tine before drawing his knife. and that
after he had shot all his shells the sill
ver-tip had insisted upon fighting ut
close quarters which accounted for
broken stock, and verified the proba-
biltty Of the mans using his gun ais a
club when the maddened beast rushed
upon him. 1t was late in the fall when
the encounter occurred. probably at a
time when the monster was heavily
equipped with fat. and, OF course, the
long, keen blade would have to pass
through thick layer Of blubber be-
fore encounteping vital part.