The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
4 SAW SAVED MITCHELL TING.
Pinned Down by n Tree and in Danger of
Death by Fire and n Bear.

Death by Fire and n Bear.
WAITE. Me-. Jan. 17.-Put a Maine French
man in a lean-to camp on the shore OF a muddy
pond that is surrounded by a brown-ash
swamp and he will earn from 81 to 81 so a day.
and get most Of his living from the pickerel
and rabbits which he catches with set lines
and snares. Mitchell King. who came to Chain
Lake early in December and took possession
of a bank-covered lean-to camp. brought in
a bag of Indian meal and a round OF pork to
last him until the beginning of Lent. He has
fed on johnny bread and pork fat at breakfast.
steamed rabbit and hasty pudding at dinner.
and fried pickerel with hoecake at supper for
six weeks. and has saved up nearly $50. Two
weeks ago. when the red squirrels invaded his
meal sack. he set dead-fallS and caught SPUR
rels enough to make the groundwork for six
| dinners. He liked rabbit stew better than
| squirrel soup. but excused his change Of diet
by saying:
re meal wat heem squirrel stole mus g. -
back eff l halter keel an eet allie re dam squirrel
in re woods"
After the squirrels had depleted his meal
bag. Mitchell took his round OF salt pork. and
walking far out on the trunk of a leaning hem-
lock that formed the ridgepole to his camp.
hung the meat in the top of a maple sapling.
and left it to freeze. When he went to hack Off
some slices for breakfast the next morning he
was enraged to find that part OF it had been
stolen during the night. and at once suspected
Jimmy st. Peters, a half-starved, saucy French
boy. who lived in a camp hall a mile away.
Mitchell set about a plan to "feex re garcon
so heem steal not any more" To accom-
plish this laudable purpose he rugged a
ladder against the side Of the leaning
hain.oak. and Borrowing d eIosscut saw pro-
ceeded to saw the trunk from the underside
until tho ton wood NunS CO Thin thut ~ ur,,,tl
hardly hold the tree in place.
Having done this Mitchell returned to camp
and went to bed. leaving the borrowed saw
standing against the open side OF the lean-to.
Along in the night. when the fire outside had
burned down to dull embers. Mitchell was sud-
denly and rudely awakened by a crashing and
snarling noise on the roof OF his camp. Before
ne had time to crawl from the blankets the
splinter on one side, shot end first through
the bark roofing and rolling half way
drifts Outside ii Mitchell to the ground oTGG
under nearly half a ton of wood. The bed of
dry leaves and hemlock boughs upon which he
He was lying on his back when the tree hit him
across the chest and abdomen. As soon as the
Of escape. "f Ike need eSGU Of f immesd la ei ncti Z p! WSs
which held him down had fallen into the fire.
which was taking hold OF the new fuel with
4Vldty. IHIeSs he got out IN. mar an hoIr the
his camp. roasting him alive.
As he could not pull himself from under the
tree he strained his muscles until he had
secured the %crosscut saw. Armed with this he
proceeded to draw it back and forth across the
and pulling with frantic energy. and feeling
faint whenever he looked at the fire and saw
the flames walk nearer on the log.
The tree was half cut in two. and Mitchell
him In the calf q the leg, causing him to roar
out with. pain. Propping himself, as high as he
could with his hands behind him. he looked
over the log and gazed into. the eyes Of a lean
bear. which was held down by the fallen stick
the place which Mitchell occupied.
When the Frenchman realized that he was
doomed to be. burned. alive il he kept still. and
was certain, OF being killed by a wounded bear
II he dared to move. he began to talk to the
animal to take hold Of the. other handle ~ the
saw and help him cut the log in two. and prom
ising life and liberty in case they escaped be-
fore the fire, got at them. For answer the bear
which had lately been frozen, The pain made
Mitchell pull away SO quickly that he moved
himself so the log rested across his hips. He !
was nov, so far out OF prison that he could sit
up and throw his arms above the timber.
Seated in this position he took the crosscut
saw and applied It to the neck OF the bear. saw
ing the animals head off with about a dozen
cuts. Having removed. one enemy Mitchell
made short work OF the log. cutting 1t in two
and rolling the blazing end out Of camp Just as
the bark roofing was taking fire.
The Frenchman got. So bounty on the bear
and sold the pelt for so. The flesh will supply
him with meat for a month to come. while the
bears grease applied to his bruises and bites
and shave hoops nearly as fast as he did before
he set q trap for Jimmy st, Peters,