Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-07-22

To the cars Of the New York sports
man and Tom Meservo, his guide, lying
ON the bed Of evergreen boughs In camp
on the shore Of Moosohead lake, came
the scream Of . benr somewhere OF In
the dark forest Il was q queer sound
that was much like the shrill call Of
dinner. with rising infection at
the end, with which New England farm
wives summon the mon from the fislds
TO the MONDAY meal Il was repeated
several times az intervals and came each
time from nearer tho camp. The guide
got up and went out to the maple grove
few rods away, took down from
limb Ahe buck lhat was hanging there,
dragged Il nearer tho camp and hung 10
up to q tree within plain sight Of the
doorway.
when we know that bear is prowl-
ing round, It Is well to have our venison
whore we can sec Il, Z" he said. "Hs
won't come so near the camp, but IL we
left the moat out among the naples he d
ne apt to spoil some Of It before morn
Ing. A bear Ia n hungry creature aud
will eat about everything, from honey
10 carrion-a stale salt mackerel will
draw one farther than anything else
but he Is shy about coming around
camps where people arc. You'll see that
this one will come near enough to find
out that thsro are people here. and then
will go away"
Tho New Yorker was for going out
20 try n shot at the bear. but the guide
told him that IL was Of no uao.
''Ho won't come into Wow anyway"
he said, land IL you show yourself at
tho door he'll not come within rife
shot Remember that he can see In the
dark, but unless you should got a
glimpse Of his eyos you couldn't distin.
guish him among the shadows Eve steps
away. Just listen, and wo may hear
him."
Tho New York maG lay down again
upon the bougha Tho scream camo once
again close Mt hand and after that was
heard no more. Presently the guide lift
ed his head and signaled the New York
or that he should listen. There was
sound Of cracking twiys and rustlipg
bushes somewhere outside the opon
space In front Of the camp. but no noise
Of footballs. Then camc little sharp
sound Of snuffing and after that the
noise Of something moving through the
bushes again Tho snnfilngs and then
the moving on again kept up until the
bear had completely circled round the
camp. and then the sounds from him
diod away. Bruin had found out all he
wanted to know about the camp. dccid-
ed that venison there was likely to come
too high in the way Of risk in getting II,
and gone away without showing him
self or exposing bis skin to any greater
risk than that Of a random shot.
'That's the way with BEARS" OBJ
served Mescrvc as the two mon lighted
their pipes "Ynl almost mover get
shot at one unless you catch him swim
ming a pond-and in that case you
want to make suro of your shooting or
he'll come aboard your boat. which
makes things bad-or run him down
with dogs, which is expensive, for the
more valuable the dog the more certain
he is to get killed. It's only the ours
that will zap Mt the bears heels and run
away when no turns on them that es.
cape damage in bear chase, and, once
In sight Of the bear. they're the most
useful too. The bear Is like what have
read Of elephants. He can't bear the
sound Of a little dog swapping behind
him and keeps turning round TO drive
him OF and SO gives the hunters n
chance to come mp.
'There was one bear that stayed
round this shore for years, and he gave
fishermen no end Of trouble by robbing
their CAMPS when they were out on the
lake fishing. He bothered them worst in
the early spring. when thoy came up to
the lakes TO fish through the ice. Il was
about that time that the bear would
como out from his winters sleep lean
and hungry, and 1t took heap to fill
him up. He was great traveller, and
before the fishing season ended he would
be heard Of from one end Of the lake 10
the other. They could tell that it was
one bear that did the business, for this
one had q foot with some Of the toes
gone. aud the tracks about tho camp al
ways showed this mark.
"This bear run his rig up and down
the lake for three years without get
ting into trouble. He came to grief at
last in q very queer way. A man nam
cd Silas Thompson, camping alone on
the casa shore Of the lake. was out ON
the ice minding his lines one March
day and thinking how he would have
to go home sooner than he had intended,
owing to an accident that bad happened
that morping at his camp. In some way