The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-16

and seemed to know poison by instinct.
He killed his own meat. so as to be on the
safe side. His hide was afterward tho
wonder of old bear hunters. Several men
who weighed him never had a chance to
send i'm their figures, good judges est-
mated it at a round ton.
one day this bear killed a COW at the
head of a little open valley just outside
the chaparral. and as one Of the herds
men rode in sight at a distance he went
into the brush. Word was at once spread
and about o'clock six native Californians
on six of the best of the old-time lassoing
horses, each one with an extra RATA tied
Half dozen Americans rode along with
me as spectators, with two others who
were going to take a hand in the fun.
The moon was nearly full and it was
one of those wonderfully clear nights that
only the countries of dry air can show.
About 800 yards to the leeward of the bait
we tied the horses in a bunch of live oaks
and went cautiously ahead on foot to see
If the bear were keeping his part of the
programme. From behind little knoll
hundred yards from the bait we could
see lot of coyotes snarling and feeding,
but there was nothing larger.
Over two hours we lay there watching,
when the coyotes suddenly stopped feed
ing and began to sneak away. Then we
heard the crack of bush and in a minute
out came mass of blackness that SEEM
ed of the deepest jet against the dark
tinguishahle form
Then it came out some thirty yards from
the brush, looking larger than horse,
then stopped and gave a long drawn
whoof that sent the coyotes flying in all
directions. Soon it struck the ground with
one forepaw and gave another whoof.
Then it sat down, or rather, up, for 1t
looked then almost like an elephant, and
sat there over half an hour, giving an Oc-
casional whoof and thump on the ground
with it's paw. The bear walked cautiously
around the COW, stopped on the leeWard
side, snuffed the air right and left, and
sat there SO near us that in the cool night
air that flowed down the little valley
out of the hills directly toward us, We
could smell the strong odor of the immense
beast as plainly as an animal in me-
nagerie.
After this he went around on the wind
ward side of the bait and shifted the
air awhile and paved the ground. Hour
after hour passed and the moon rode past
the zenith, yet it was better to wait until
he became absorbed i'm eating than to
try to make dash on him while he was
suspicious. The chances of his going to
the bait were greater than the chances
of overhauling him while so near the
brush.
At about two o'clock in the morning the
bear finally started toward the bait ana
we soon heard the cracking of bones.
Then we slipped quietly back to the horses.
They were all in a tremble and when we
nervous that the two Americans, VINO
were going to take a hand, both backed
out and concluded to look on. They had
come TO California in early days, had be
come expert with the RATA, and could
run down, rope and tie steer in as
short time as any. But they very sud-
denly lost all stomach for this fight [
could catch a horse in a. corral very well,
but looking on was now good enough for
me; and the way the horses were fright
ened by the mere smell of the bear made
it very doubtful whether / would not DO
better on foot or in a tree.
Don Francisco was selected to lead the
charge They walked quietly to within O.
hundred yards of the bear, and then Ike
a charge of grape the horse shot torWdIu
under the impulse of the spurs Tal3
about the charge of the Light Brigade!
You can find far more men to lead Tenny-
sons 600 into the valley of death thaH
to lead the charge Francisco did.
Think of the management of the bride
the spurs the moose, the coil of the Tlata,
and the other end of it on horse lia6le
to wheel with fright at any moment. the
end of the rope cannot be made fast to the
saddle but must be fastened with a quick
twist only after it has caught the right
thing, and must then be held ready 10
cast off in a twinkling if 1t is wrong.
This takes all the care of one hand, whlle
the moose takes all the care of the other
What is there left to handle the coil,
bride, which is still more important me
left hand must do three things, for me
work of the right is too important TO pc
divided with anything else. And only
those who begin with lassoing the cat
with the clothes line almost from the
cradle, and climb up the horses foreles
and swing over by the aid of his name
can do it with safety.
Franciscos horse ran low, and swlttIy,
ahead of the rest, while he leaned Wen
forward in the saddle and carried snort
near the ground in his right hand as ne
swept along. 1t was plain he meant 70
ride close to the bear and have niue
whirling of the rope to do to assure
throw.
Miss lane E,rra who has inst grad