The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-11


one stands in dread of them But these
Drown bears are actually feared by every
hunter; Tor, when wounded, they will
hght TO the death. l thought if I had run
across TINS fellow and had missed him,
and he had tackled me and killed me. what
miserable death and ending 1t would be.
The Indian burying ground was close to
Where saI, and could see the last rude
made cross over the grave of an Indian
woman who had died that spring under
the most distressing circumstances.
She had been left in the house with her
TWO children, one boy of two and a half
years old, the other a girl of six or seven
months, being nursed by her mother. Her
husband and another Indian, being the
only other person then at the camp, had
lett on hunting and foraging eXpedi-
lion without leaving a morsel of food of
any description other than some dried sal
mon. Soon after the men started they
encountered rough weather, and had 10
suosist several days on fish ducks. At
last they shot two hair seals and took
the skins TO the Soldovia store to trade
for provisions. Another storm sprang up
while there and detained them several
days, and by the time they finally reached
home they found the poor woman dying,
having giving up her very fife to save her
children from starving. Both were found
al her breast each clasped by an arm in
loving embrace, the poor, faithful soul
reduced in flesh to mere skeleton, and
when the children had been removed it
was seen they had been sucking blood l
never could think of this poor womans
fate without a moistening of the eyes and
recalling the philosophic lines of Burke:
What shadows we are; what shadows
we pursue"
A feeling of sadness came over me.
picked up the rifle, putting the hammer
down, intending returning to the camp
he cooled
off, as the air was now frosty. 1 had not
gone fifty yards when, rounding the edge
of the scrub bushes, l came right on the
wounded bear, who was lying down in the
long grass. The moment he saw me he
partially rose on his Launches, his mouth
strealSed with foam, his eyes glaring
hatred and Defiance and his whole aspect
the very incarnation of savage ferocity.
l protest that SO awful was the transition
from the melting mood l had just been
in to the sudden revulsion of mind at the
sight of this enraged and Infatuated beast
close to my very feet that l took instant
fright and ran.
Now if l was writing fiction and de-
sirous of making myself out hero,
certainly would not record this confess
sion of weakness, but 1 would rather any
day be branded as a coward than be ac>
cused of misstating the true facts of this
adventure. Some one has said that If
the world will accept the worst. OF
course, the worst view will be taken of
this action of mine in showing the white
feather. Every man can see the mote IN
his neighbors eye, but cannot discover
the beam in his own. Men are constantly
marveling at the little faults and trihing
follies of others, while their own great
errors and glazing absurdities are borne
about by themselves unheeded and un-
seen. Well, the moment 1 turned and
started for the house the bear gave in
slant chase.
When l had gone some distance trip
ped in the long, dry grass and nearly
came to grief, but saved myself from
falling, the stumble giving me the op.
portunity of looking back, when l found
in consequence of bruin being wounded
1 had gained considerably on him. This
knowledge somehow gave me needed
courage, and l turned round determined
60 assert nay manhood and risk the ha-
gard of an encounter. The bear was maxi
ing for me without any wavering of pur-
pose, and 1 raised the rifle to my Shout
der to fire. At this moment l judged him
to be about 200 feet from me, and the
thought occurred if I fired and missed
or only further wounded him l would not
have time to reload before he was IN
me, so 1 lowered the gun to await his
nearer approach and give him shot at
the closest possible range. When he got
within few feet of me he reared him.
self up, standing almost erect, and belch-
ed forth a hot, sitting breath on me that
nearly stUpified me. For a second was
completely dazed, but instantly recover
ing, had the rife in position, and taking
quick aim at his heart, pulled the trigger,
when, to my horror, it failed to act, for
getting in the excitement having put the
hammer at half-cock some time pre-
viously.
7 1,aI tr,,n To aaff 11Nr
der he struck me terrible blow on my
left side and l fell partly backward, the
rifle being forced out of my hands some
distance. Instinctively 1 turned quickly
face downward and put my right hand
on my breast to protect the wound as |
felt the blood trickling down my side. 1
discovered that the thick blanket l had
on, as well as cloth vest and overshrt
and scarlet flannel uudershirt had all been
torn, leaving the lacerated flesh bare to
the hand. 1 feared the smell of blood
would still further enrage the bear who
was now nosing me and poking me in
the ribs in an apparent effort to turn me
over. While in this awful predicament
my mind was busy forming plans to es-
cape, If possible, from what seemed immi- |
nent death / had no sheath knife on me,
mine being attached to the cartridge belt
loaned to the Indians. l had no idea just
IN what direction the rifle was, nor could
rise to look around so concluded my wis |
est course was to play possum," and | |
lay as still and breathless as a man can |
when his life is at stake. Several times !
the bear pushed his nose in my ribs and |
twice he clawed me. He would sometimes |
leave me for short space and wander !
about, returning again and again to give |
me poke and walk around me in cir |
Gle, growing angrily at intervals. He |
Kept this up for some time, when at last !
| felt sure he had gone considerable dis |
lance, or perhaps altogether. l rose eau |
tiously and looked around when, to my |
inexpressible satisfaction. he was nowhere |
to be seen. Hurriedly getting up, made |
all haste to reach the cabin, which l did |
in an almost exhausted condition, for the |
strain on my nervous system had been |
a terrible one. and the recollection of it |
as l write makes me, even now, faint and !
sick at heart. I closed the door as / en-
tered and spread the blankets out on the |
bunk to lie down. feeling that 1 was about |
to give up the ghost and soon would visit |
''other seas and stranger sky and shores !
than mortal ever knew" l had a small |
table alongside the bunk, on which was |
a fat nOpkpthOOt< wherein | kent q d{arv