The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-11-06


side by side. John holding the torch
and Uncle Jim his gun. stood a step
OF two in their rear, of to one side. As
the bear came forward Uncle Jim
shouted:
"tFlash the torch in his eyes!'
tJohn gave the torch twist, and the
blaze shone square in the bears eyes,
dazzling them so that he turned his
head ABOUND and lowered it a little TO
evade the light. He was but little more
than a gun length away when he turned
his head, and as he turned it Uncle Jim
fired. The huge brute dashed on toward
the two men, and before either could get
out Of his way one Of his immense fore
paws came down against Uncle Jim's
chest and the other caught John by the
shoulder.
"Both men staggered back under the
force Of the blows, but did not fall.
There stood al three, revealed to me by
the light of Johns torch, which he still
held aloft, the bear with both men in
his clutch, with an awful look in his
eyes and his mouth wide open, and
they standing motionless as if para
lyzed with terror. Twas about to send
bullet into the bears brain to save,
as supposed, the lives of my COM
psHions, when the fact that he had not
moved a muscle since he seized Uncle
Jim and Jack struck me. I stepped
quickly forward. The bear did not
move. He stood there erect and firm,
but he was stone dead! Uncle Jim's
bullet had struck him at the butt Of
the left ear and dislocated his neck.
The big fellow had dashed forward in
his dea5h throes, died the instant he
struck his great claws into his foes,
and stood there just as he died. The
long, sharp claws were buried so deep
in the clothing of the two hunters that
I had to cut it away with my hunting
knife before they could be released
from the bears death clutch,
Thar exclaimed Uncle jim after
the bear lay stretched on the cavern
floor, I've killed many and many bar,
and had m die on my hands in all sorts
O. ways, but I'll be doped if ever I see
one die a standin' afOre! And this is
the first time I ever inowed a bar to
try to kill feller after he was dead his
self
"But this amt my BEAR" said John.
My bear wasn't as big as one side of
this bear. Can't be, can it, Uncle jim,
that he could waxed as big and fat as
this on bats since yesterday
But an idea seemed to have come
suddenly to Uncle Jim that puzzled
him. He took string from his pocket
and measured the width of the bear
between the shoulders, and it's height
if on all tours.
"'Two foot and q half wide said
Uncle jim, and four foot high. Thur
amt no ways that bar could fgger SOS
he could git inter this here hole by the
door we come in by. But he's in here,
sartin, and consequently he must a
cot in, How and whar? That's what
we got to find out, perticly cause if he
couldn't fit in the way we did, we can't
git him out that way, and I'm goin'
ter git that bar out O. here hull. Any
bar that dies a standiu' up and tries
to kill me after he's dead, I'm gointer
take home hull. Consequently, we must
find out how and whar he got in
"But how about my bear, Uncle
Jim?' said John. I didn't come into
the bowels of Old Scarface to git this
bear. Icame after the bear that fooled
me all day, and then crawied in here,
How about him%
"'That bar replied Uncle Jim, find
in this dug-out, took up by this old fell
Ter, maturity didn't turn him out, but
went scoutin' fer another IN. Wen be
ap' to run acrost him while lookin' fur
the place this bar gotin.'
81 didn't relish much the idea of pros.
pecting the tunnels and chambers Of
the hollow cliff for an unknown exit,
but didn't dare show the white feather,
particularly as I had been for a couple
of weeks entertaining Uncle Jim and
John with some experiences Of
mine in the woods and mountains OF
various parts of the country that were q
trifle hair-raising in the telling, and
! have a reputation to sustain with
them. So I went along further into
the depths with fear and trembling.
Fortunately orr explorations did not
extend into the intTicae;es of Old Scar
faces strange interior very far, for the
good reason that the only passageway
leading out of the big cavern termi-
uated against a solid wAH. AFTER wind
ing course OF perhaps an eighGn OF q
mile. Midway between this wall and
the cavern where the dead hear was,
on one side of the passage, and ten feel
from the floor, we discovered an open
ing which was evidently in direct com
munication with the outside of the cliff,
for daylight was shining dimly through
it. No attention was given it by either
of my companions as we passed along
beyond Uncle Jim's saying:
"'Old Scarfaee's side is pretty darn
thin along here when daylight kin shine
through it,
"But when we ran up against the wall
at the end of the tunnel, and found that
there was no opening there or anywhere
big enough to let fly through, Uncle
jim scratched his head awhile and then
said:
well, all thur is about it is Jest this
here. That bar couldn't git in at the
door and he jest maturity clumb in at
the winder. Consequently. thar where
he'll have to be got oct at hull
Yes, said John. That's all right,
but where's my bear?'
"'Jack,' said Uncle Jim, I think Il
more than likely that finding the bunk
took up by the bar that died standin',
L. Ts4-, > ~ ------