Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-07-18
FACING A GRIZZLY.
HOW \ BOY KILLED AN ANGRY BEAR
WITH a GLOW OF AN Ak.
His Brave Acs Saved siie Life OF One OF
Hh Companions The Geology Class
Found Something In the Rockies Kt
Wasn't Looking For.

Hh Companions -- The Geology Class
Pound Something In the Rockies It
WASN'T Looking For.
twas in Scptembcr-and the Colo
RADIO sun had done it's duty and made
Phil as brown of face and stout Of limb
as any of us-that the geology class,
consisting of the professor ard ten pu-
pills made an excursion into the range
with the object of taking a practical
lesson among the limestone beds at tho
back of Lincoln park.
Away we went-fceling very hilar-
iOus at the idea of making AN indepond-
emit expedition, even with Blinkers for
general-scrambling over rocks and
fallen trees. chasing squirrels and chip
hunks, throwing stones at birds and /
rabbits, and behaving generally just |
like what we wcre-a parcel OF school |
boys
Presently we emerged from the trees
and came ont upon another little open
parklike stretch of ground Half way
ccross it our attention was suddenly at
tracted by a stir among some high grass,
and out jumped little, dark oolored.
short legged animal. which looked like
a 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 in digging a tarantula's nest out
Of the ground with his knife; but as
soon as he saw what we were doing no
came racing after Us. shouting: Look
outI Look outi It's a.
We did not hear what, we were max
ing so much noise ourselves
But the little animal, whatever it
was, was too quick for US and disap-
peared into some willows while we were
still 90 yards behind. The next moment
the willows waved and bent aud out
bounced a great she bear-a grizzly
With yell of dismay we all turned
and, scattering like a flock of sparrOws
when cat jumps into the midst Of
them, fed for the nearest trees. Blink
er, quite forgetting that he was the
general Of the little expcditionary force,
made such use of his long legs that he
was safely up a tree before any of the
rest of us had reached one.
AS for me, I never reached one at all
In turning to run 1 tripped over the
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 si1
Jumps, as it seemed, the great beast
caught me, and, with one blow Of hel
paw on the middle of my back, sent me
| ~,r-I 70
cry atom of breath driven out of m,
body.
This last circumstance was gooC
thing for me; could not have moved I
muscle if / had wished to. Consequent,
the bear supposed that was dead, an'
instead of tearing me up into small
pieces, as expected, she began sniffin
me all over and turning me about wit
: her claws
! Suddenly, however. she ceased an
began TO growl, and 1 heard Blinker
up in his tree call out, go backl Yo
, cs.s.'t dc any good You'll only q
! yourself killed too. " From which 1 col
GUIDED that Blinkers and the bear ha
G one thought in common; they both SUI
= posed me TO be dead.
~
q little by this time, and in my anxiet
= to see what was going forward l mad
: a slight movement with one arm, al
n in an instant the bear had that arm b
. tween her teeth. 1t hurt mo so horrib
y that ] tainted, and all that happenS
afterward i gathered from the 9th
Z boys
) Phil, when ne saw me knocked dow
instead of climbing up tree like Il
n rest, ran back to where i had dropp,
- the ak. aud. picking it up. advanced
10 my rescue
I 1t was a mad thing Co do, there is
"a doubt about that; but Phil did it--al
40 without thought of his own DANCE
"a 1t was in vain that Blinkers called
n him TO go back; he did not seem TO hes
but kept coming on slowly, with l
eyes fixed on the bear, and the AK he
in readiness TO strike.
The bear dropped my arm and q
vanced step, standing across my bod
growing and turning up her lips un
., all her great white teoth We're expose
" but still Phil came ON. At six feet
y lance he stopped The bear took ST
'o forward, and then another. and the
with all the strength of his body dOubl
:" by the intense excitement of the Il
@ ment Phil struck at her with such fo
" and precision that he split her SIX
- clean in two
'0 But, even in dying, the bear succeed
>, in doing some mischief
With a last convulsive effort
W struck out. and, with her great cla'
A s tore away the front of Pills coat, v
Ia and shirt, and made three deep cuts
- across his chest from the left shoul
=. diagonally downward Another il
- and Phil must certainly have been kill
~. AS it was, he stood for a moment sw
W ing to and fro, and then fell forw
- upon the dead body of the bear.
- - ely Phil" by Sidford +. Hamp. in
- Nicholas