The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-04
BEAR FOUND THE APPLES.
A VIEW YoRKER HELPED OUT M A
COUNTRY B0YS SKILL.

to ~Ripen-Bruin's Appreciation of the
Hoard = Unexpected Meeting OF the
Hunter and tho Quarry at Short Range.
1T began with the haymowinR Of a bushel or
30 Of apples In a stack on a meadow. The
apples would have been well worth the trorble.
but a result that we had not thought OF was
my killing q two-year-old BEAR" said A. b.
MoIntire. relating some experiences OF the
past summer In Maine. when 1 say we, the
second party referred to In Emory Stonecraft
a lad Of IA. who was o frequent companion OF
mine on fishing and pigeon shooting trips. 1
had n standing contract with him to keep me
supplied with baib-worms. ~grasshoppers.
minnows, froEs-adapted to the VARYING tastes
Of trout, perch and pickerel. Az was proper
and fitting ia a'Maine country boy, he had an
accurate knowledge OF the fishing possibili-
ties OF every pond and stream1n the township.
the best holes to angle In and the kind Of bait
or fly most tempting to the fish in the season.
He was handy in making a raft. in patching M
and.handlinR a 1eaky boat,.and he know the
local: names and habits Of most OF the birds
and animals that we oame. upon in our wan
derings. 1t was with real regret that we part
ed when In September 1 had to return home.
Toward the end Of August. when the early
apples we're r~ipeninR, our way to the fishing
waters lay for several days across an aban-
doned farm situated ip the woods at some dis
lance from the main road. The orchard was
still standing and bearing fruit, Emory knew
the good trees. but the apples. when we tried
them Ys fsfl y yoa %S Sna a saIS Emory on the Sec
ond morning, as he saw.me bite into a hard
sweet apple. then throw it away, there's a hay.
lug a lot OF apples down and haymow 'em.'
"Then. In answer to my inquiry as TO what
his tone for my ignorance, that the interior
OF a haymow for some months after the hey
was nut in: was aIW wa va to 1i some tS. extent 1s warm ATT
out. BY .burying apples, that were unripe.
though fully. grown. deep in the NOW they RI
ccious flavor from the newly mown hay. In the
absence Of a convenient haymow the stack on
pre- with the proposition. and for three
meadow all the apples that we gould pack into
pockets. These we deposited In three sepa-
rate holes b%urrowed deep In the sides OF. the
tightly with hay. and put from sight. every
sign of our operations. we went away. leaving
About ten days later when the apples might
be supposed to have ripened. we made it con-
%venient to 20 pigeon shooting, by way Of the
/ to the haystack. When I came up to him he
a lot S Of Ray That sh1 li etsfed0 the s a1sa1sL' H f%9 ala
tunne!led into the stack leading in the direc-
tlOAA Vi Jul obiAO bONAoo ~
It's no use.' said the boy. They GO
s stTaig an I to Ths ere we put the apples There
But we tucked away eome apples on the
further side Of the stack 1 said. Let's see If
Il won't ,roundto the other side OF the stack
and saw that the hay had not been disturbed,
apples still there. Emory followed me. NUT
tering. threats against the robber., -,
If find ont who did this trick. I'll make
HIM ha had not as far al thia Ehen hfs note
changed with ridiculous audiences; tJewhil-
iikens Jeeswaxp he yelled, Jess look here.
He was staring in high excitement at a lit
tie spot Of bare ground about four feet across.
tracks were deeply imprinted. They were
large and long. somewhat resembling the
DEEPER indentations in the ground. such as
mi Eht have been pricked with a sharp-pointed
DO you see thoseP Do you know what
they are? They're bear tracks He went
i SS%Sn AZ ff The e tra ndnas . 1Ia Sreg new " ones Ees he etp pror
squeezed up at the sides; 4 isn't all dried yet.
rest Of the apples. sure &,
We'll, here was more fun ahead than I had
and to get two or three days partridge shoot
ing, it might be. after the season opened. and
c6ofe~bore, not suitable for firing a bali. 1
had in my belt some buckshot cartridges that
would serve at short range. but l was not GER
had never Killed big game. or seen a bear at
scheme for lying in wait for the beaEthat night
with Winchester rifles on top OF the haystack.
when the boy, who stood where he could look
Look, quick he. said, There he Is now.
The bears a-comin., .
there. surely enough. was the bear. And he
was a comm too, straight for where We were.
slow to the eye, bu: covers ground like a road
horses pace. Some cattle at pasture of on
his, left had spled him and set up, a believing.
not seem to See us. lodged back behind the
bird-shot cartridges In my gun with buck
shot, and we both stood waiting. l did not
dare ar stick my head tSs out out beyond the stack sel e see
alarming him too soon. but by watching the
cattle H. the pa stpre staring at him over the
snif from the:other;side:9f the stack so plainly
| his mind about eating apples that day gave
away. to give us q fair start II the affair turned
pace at the finish. for as I stepped round the
stack TO fire / met him face to face. so near
that with two more steps could have touched
MY first impulse. which I mastered. was to
t theG 1e Sna' H Ia filee distance Ia SfISy BEEN saG sWiee = as st sPe az
between us the bear. | think. would have run
away. But being taken by surprise and see
ing me SO close upon him. he did not dare to
turn tail. but stood his ground. His hair
bristled all at once, making him look one;half
bigger. and his white tusks showed unpleas-
antly as he rose up on his launches to receive
me. There was where he made his mistake,
for if:he had jumped for me 1 would have had
no chance to use my gun and the story might
have n different ending. As 1t was i gave him
the two charges at two feet avs Az in the breast
and the throat. / did not wait to see the eff
feet Of, my shots. but backed away round the
did so, for with the full two charges OF buck
shot. striking at short range with the impact
OF two heavy bullets in vital parts of his body.
the bear came TO his feet and made a rush for
| place before he fell and died.
was a two-year-old, bear, pig-fat from
six weeks ~feasting on raspberries. blueberries
and huckleberrias and with the g~lossiest OF
black coats. Emory. who had stood Loyalty by
me holding the stump OF a broken pltchfork
that, he had:picked up. ready u lend a hand II
ness and 1 was feeling well myself. But the
youngster was o down-Easter and with all his
excitement he did not forget that we had come
to the haystack. for apples and that there was