The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-17

So These Four Bears Must Have Strnyed
Over from the Lake George Country.

SO These Four Bears Must Have strnyed
Over from the Lake George Country.
ALBANY, May 1G.-"Are the Adirondack bears
out ~ said II man from Essex county, in response
to an inquiry. AR they out? Out. Why,
they've been out since March 9. and very much
out. What people say to the contrary notwith-
standing, though, bears are not plentiful In the
Adirondack country. aud IL it wasn't for Essex
county you would seldom hear OF one. There
are more bears within a hundred miles OF the
Greater New York than there are in the North
Woods wilderness. The hills overlooking Lake
George and Lake Champlain are better. much
better. places for the hunter to go than any of
the most isolated regions of the Adirondacks.
The Catskill Mountains and the kindred eleva-
tions of sullivan county. which a New Yorker
can reach between his breakfast and his lunch
con hours, are still better. II it wasn't for
Essex county the AdiIpndacks would fare
badly in the item Of bears. Old Essex.
for some reason that | can't explain, is a fayorite
locality for bears. An Essex county bearskin
always commanded n better price than the skin
taken from Il bear in any other part of the
State; but, in spite of that, Essex county hunt
ers and trappers thought they ought to get still
more money out Of their bearskins, and they
succeeded a few years ago in having n bill
passed that placed u bounty on bears. The
A'thbN D ~ - bho" tbaI
bear killers came to the front from Essex county
every year with evidences that they were en-
tilted to bOunties on bears killed than from any
other county in the state. The Comptroller's
books will also show the curious fact that boun-
ties were paid this year on bears killed in Essex
county last year, in spite Of the fact that the
law authorizing such bounty was repealed by
the Legislature OF 1895. The bears OF Essex
are cute. So are the county's bear killers.
Speaking of our bears being out, IL my
friend Jackson Pelz OF the Loon Lake country
was here, he could tell you how he happens to
know they are out. AS he isn't here. I'll try to
tell you myself. In the first place. Jackson Pelz
isn't n bear hunter. He knows very little about
bears. he says. and doesn't care for them. Wild
cats 10 his weakness. He'll travel twenty miles
any day to follow up "a rumor about wildcats.
That is what led to his experience with bears.
He heard IA rumUr one day last month that there
were the greatest signs u wildcats over back Of
the RiOrock Mountain that had been seen for
many years. SO he started out to see what
there might be in the ruinor. lie trained about
all day in the locality whore the wildcats were
lying low. but they must have been lying lower
than any, wildcats ever lay before, for jackson
couldn't find EN-, nor any sign of EN-.
Funny said jackson. Seems to me that
folks don't know what wildcat signs are any
more
so he turned his face toward home, hot and
hungry. He hadn't more than turned, though,
"A"::"G W. ' You my word WORD. r Jacks 81, n said ia"t i1 me, il
remember right, i had to set my teeth tight
shut for AS much as a minute to keep my heart
from jumping out of my mouth
And / hold that he had good reason for do
ing it. Why Because, not twenty yards ahead
OF him. on u rise OF barren ground, stood tour
bears four big ones, Jackson said. The four
bears maintained so unrutied and apparently
soon resumed their normal condition, his heart
dropped back where it belonged, and he stood
content. after thinking the matter over, 10 ac-
cept the four bears as a substitute for the I'M
discovered, and doubtless mythical. wildcats.
The bears stood IN q row. their shaggy figures
nnflinH1 nnln h a 4 and THAR AN,4.H Nnl in
strangely calm contemplation on my friend
Jackson.
about 1t, but | had reason to believe that u
charge that would successfully humble a Wild
thing for n bear, and so felt that i was as well
hxed for business rs If | had rammed down my
quentiy, / couldn't see why / wasn't as good as
holding q pat hand against at least one OF that
"Jnckson looked the bears over, and not hav-
ing any idea that he could bag more than one of
EN-, selected the one that stood on the right of
the line as the one that would do him the most
credit. lie took his time, aimed deliberately,
and sent the bert OF one of his barrels plumb be-
tween that particular bears eyes. Hoexpected.
OF course, to see the bear drop in his tracks
without u seconds delay and its three com
pantons tear away from that conspicuous
them. Consequently he was not only
santprissa, out also very uneasy when ho
had shot did not fall. Not one Of its companions
moved AS much us an eyelld. so. jack son said.
= Nv bN'Ni Nv iiah iliJ'thNt nv VIZ ~ ti VI Nll'itiL
shot into stood stili and looked Mt jackson rs IL
it would thank him for some little ex planation
OF his conduct. but the bear only stood there
about u minute In that apparent frame Of mind.
Then II came to Jnckson's relief 10y dropping
like a stone and lying there without rs much AS
the feeble protest OF u kick.
jackson was dutnfounded. but not any
more SO than the three surviving bears seemed
to be. They never moved out of their tracks,
and looked first at their PROSTATE companion
and then at Jackson.
Its only a question Of time says Jackson,
when them three dalcd bears II come to u
realizing sense OF the way things stand. and
will naturally jump in after some revenge.
guess better pick 'em Off without any more
delay than can he avoided
Saying which, jackson projected n charge OF
wildcat lead into the bear that was then tho
outside one on the right OF the line. This bear
went down by the side OF its late companion
two remaining bears continued statuesque ami
gazed at each other in a puzzled and undecided
course OF action.
IN, give EN- a chance to think up some
thing while load my gum says jackson.
They hadn't made up their minds yet when
Jackson had finished loading his gun, and think
ing that he had done the fair thing by them he
sent a load into the third bear, \ gllmmering
sense Of the true state OF affairs must have Just
begun to break on that bear, for he didn't
It., but backed away, shaking his head and roar
Ing Ike a mad bull. The glimmering sense had
on a few feet. Then lie fell, and didn't get up
again, As this bear backed away bowling, his
lone compan.on turned aud gnled at him until
he fell. Then this last survivor of the bruin
quartet faced about again and stared at Jackson.
SON, !n mid I"H iast on as ''' ''Ar dsy ,a'S' Iy iny' IN 2a fEe
Hatno o. sam ill Is H. m%,'aing Of all this
anyhow ~
''But jackson didn't give the bear time 10
nud out anything further about it, but plinked
him. lie ,whirlrd around two or three times
and tumble as the other ones had. didn't See
the four bears, but my friend Jackson has got
IL set down IN Ms book that they weighed 800
pounds apiece. | don't believe, though, that
they were native Essex county bears, They
were 80 stupid that | think they must have
strayrd in froIn the Lake George country"
wILCoX CoMroUND