The Somerset reporter., 1896-06-25
FACING A GRIZZLY.
HOW A BOY KILLED AN ANGRY BEAR
WITH A BLOW OF AN Ak.

round something In the Rockies II
Wasn't Looking For.
1t was IN September-and the Colo.
RADIO sun had done its duty and made
Phil as brown of face and stout of limb
as any of us-that the geology class
consisting of the professor and ten pu
pills, made an excursion into the range
with the object of taking practical
lesson among the limestone beds at the
back of Lincoln park
Away we went-feeling very hilar-
ious ut the idea of making an independ-
ent expedition, even with Blinkers for
Notwithstanding over rocks and
fallen trees, chasing squirrels and chip
hunks, throwing stones at birds and
rabbits, and behaving generally just
like what we were-a parcel of school
boys
Presently we emerged from the trees
and came out upon another little open
parkllke stretch of ground. Half way
across 1t our attention was suddenly at
tracted by stir among some high grass,
and out 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'a shout, in pursuit.
Phil happened to be some distance
behind at the moment, being busily en-
gagged i'll digging tarantula's nest out
of the ground with his knife; but as
soon as he saw what we were doing he
came racing after us, shouting: Look
outl Look Quit It's a.
We did not hear what, we were max
ing so much noise ourselves.
But the little animal, whatever il
was, was too quick for us and disap-
peared into some willows while we were
still 20 yards behind The next moment
the willows waved and bent and out
bounced a great she bear-a grizzly!
With yell of dismay we all turned
and, scattering like flock of sparrows
when u cat jumps into the midst of
them, fled for the nearest trees. Blink
ers, quite forgetting that he was the
general of the little expeditionary force,
made such use of his long legs that he
was safely up ii tree before any of the
rest of us had reached one.
As for me, | never reached one at all.
In turning To run l tripped over tho
ak, and though | was up again in an in
slant the check made me the last of the
fugitives.
The chase was very soon over. In six
jumps, as it seemed, the great beast
caught me- and. with one blow of her
paw ON the middle of my back, sent me,
face downward, to the ground, with cv-
cry atom of breath driven out of my
body
This last circumstance was good
thing for me- could not have moved "a
muscle if had wished to. Consequently
the bear supposed that l was dead, and
instead of tearing me up into small
pieces, as | expected, she began smiling
me all over and turning me about with
her claws.
Suddenly, however, she ceased and
began to growl, and l heard Blinkers
up i'll his tree call out, go back You
can't do any good You'll only get
yourself k He'd too" From which con.
Guided that Blinkers and the bear had
one thought IN common; they both sup
posed me to be dead.
| WAS beginning to recover my breath
a little by this time and i'll my anxiety
to see what was going forward | made
IA slight movement with one arm, and
i'll an instant the bear had that arm be
tween her teeth. 1t hurt me SO horribly
that | tainted, and all that happened
afterWard ! gathered from the other
boys.
Phil, when he saw me knocked down,
instead of climbing up tree like the
rest, ran back to where l had dropped
the AK, and. picking it up, advanced to
my rescue.
1t was mad thing to do, there is no
doubt about that; but Phil did it-and
without Il thought of his own danger.
1t was III vain that Blinkcrs called to
him to go back he did not seem to hear,
but kept coming on slowly, with his
eyes fixed on the bear and the AK held
in readiness to strike
The bear dropped my arm and ad-
vanced step, standing across my body,
growing and turning up her lips until
all her great white teeth We're exposed;
but still Phil came on. At six feet dis
lance he stopped. The bear took step
forward, and then another, and then,
with all the strength of his body doubled
by the intense excitement of the mo-
ment, Phil struck at her with such force
and precision that he split her skull
clean in two.
But, even III dying, the bear succeeded
in doing some mischief
With last convulsive effort she
struck out, and, with her great claws,
tore away the front of Phls coat, vest
and shirt, and made three deep cuts all
across his chest from the left shoulder
diagonally downward. Another inch
and Phil must certainly have been killed.
AS it WAS, he stood for moment sway
ing to and fro, and then fell forward
upon the dead body of the bear. 80 riz-
Fly Phil" by Sidford f. Hamp, IN ST.
Nicholas.
The Warden Of Oxford.
DR.. Symons could be quick and dexter
Gus when occasion needed. He had adj
ministered serious rebuke to an under