The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18
Nindictiveness Of the Bear,

alton Of sugar barrel and bear. As !
learned later. though | did not know IL
At the time, some miners working on
ground near which The Kitty O'Brien
five-stamp mill was afterward built.
had put out this barrel purposely TO
catch this bear. which had been making
trouble about the cabins. II is an old
DODGE suppose everyone has heard
OF Il. \ number OF long, sharp iron
spikes are driven slantwise through the
slaves OF the barrel or keg, pointing
backward. The bear sticks his head
into the barrel to get at the sugar In
the back end OF il, and he can get
his head out again. Ordinarily. the
rest Is simple. The hunter comes up
when he hears the bear begin To beg
and ends the comedy with a bullet.
In this case IL was not so simple. I
do not know how long the old fellow
had been thus entrapped. he IL long or
short. the time Was evidently long
enough for Ephraim. You never heard
anybody beg i'm all your life the way
that bear did. He would sit down and
whine and cry like a baby, putting up
his him feet to scratch at the barrel, IN
a way which made me laugh I'm
spite Of all | could do. Their ne would
get mad all over. and howl and scream
and tear around. till the dirt flew as
though there were "A grand n tight
~ NA'SA'RR WI AhA' ~ y
never heard anything more terrible.
and I could only pray hat the spikes
would hold. When the bear found hat
sdualling did 10 good, and learned
that he coul not smash the barrel by
pounding IL on the rocks. he would
lean the barrel down on the groundt
he couldn't put his paws tn his eyes
and he would sob as though his heat
would break To ave my life. | could
not help feeling sorry for him.
At last the bear evidently heard me-,
for he turned up the barrel to one side,
as though cooking up his ear. Then.
slowly, and with n series Of pitiful
grunts and groans, he came on directly
toward me. the barrel sticking straight
out in front OF him like a sore finger
IN a boy. IL was plain as the nose ON
your face that he wanted me to n Il
Off,
This was a rather odd situation. and
one whose like I have not since ex-
perienced. nor do l think IL by any
means "A common one. I was alone and
defenceless II I did not help the bear
] took chances. and l took still greater
chances IL I did. In this case l tried
subterfuge. I disscmblcd.
Reaching out at arms length, ! tap
ped along the surface of the barrel
with my hammer. as though trying ~
knock Il free. The bear caught the
idea at once, n nestled the barrel. So
To speak. against my person. This gave
me "A farther inspiration. Gradually re-
ceding, ! continued tapping the barrel
out toward it's extremity, and the bear
followed up the touch of the hammer.
evidently wanting more Of this effort To
set IL free. As | tapped, IL followed,
and soon I Nnd Il at a trot. coming after
me down the mountain side. You may
imagine the confidence the bear had
placed i'm me. I hould never have UNI
dertaken To abuse such confidence. and
IL came near costing me dear.
| was tired. but | feared To stop trot-
ting. for IL seemed best To let well
enough alone. Acting upon the impulse
OF the moment | cast myself upon the
bears back. still reaching forward
and tapping the barrel well on toward
It's outer extremity. In this l think