The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-10-25
BROKE BRUINS NECK.


y y2nlas Is large black ram As the story
ss comes in from there, like Jim Smiley's
!. famous jumping frog. no one noticed
: until recently amy more points about
= this ram than there were about any
q other ram Now this ram is the senSa-
q tion in the Little Kettle creek country,
for he has proved himself benefactor
to the neighborhood BY killing alone
q and unaideds and in one, two, three or
der, big bear that for weeks had been
devoting himself TO thinning out the
sheep pastures
This bear had been hunted in vain far
+ and near A few days ago Farmer
Morely heard that the cunning mutton
stealer had been seen in the vicinity,
and he posted his 1s-year-old boy Peter
as guard over the field where his sheep
were feeding. The boy was armed with
double-barreled shotgun loaded with
buckshot. Il the bear appeared young
Peters instructions were TO give him
both barrels Young Morely watched
with patience and fear for two DAYS.
but no bear appeared. On the third
day he felt himself more at ease and
began TO think that Bruin did not care
TO bother with that flock of sheep, his
! reconnoitering having probably dis
covered TO him the boy and the gun on
( guard About the middle Of the after
noon of the third day, however, the
guardian OF the flock was startled TO see
the bear jump over the stone wall, only
few feet from where he was sitting.
The bear put so ferocious sront To-
ward the lad that he dropped his gun,
sprang over the waIl, and ran at the
Top of his speed toward field, nor far
distant, where his father was al work.
Farmer Morely started for the sheep
pasture as fast as he could run When
the bear appeared in the field the sheep ,
were feeding in a group in the middle .
Of the lot BY the time Farmer Morely /
reached the fence where the frightened I
boy had left the gun only one of the :
flock remained where the group had :
been That cne was the black ram :
The Others had lied into a far corner of
the field. where they were huddIed to-
gether, bleating in terror as they gazed
back at the shutting form Of the bear.
Bears are epicurean in their tastes.
and If they visit q pigztye it is always 2
the youngest and fattest inmate they :
select Ii il IS mutton they are after.
they work on the same principle. So
this particuiSr bear paid no attention
to the black ram. but was passing by !
not more than ten feet away. with the
intention of making his selection from
the trembling and bleatiEg flock be-
Fond. II was at this interesting mo
nent in the proceedings that Farmer
Aorely appeared at the wall The bear
lad got in range OF the ram as he
ihuffied contemptuously along. and
hen the ram seems TO have made up his
mind that this ugly-looking stranger II
lad no business there. He leaped into
be air. and like a shot threw his thick.
ard head against the bear. striking the q.
ig brute in the side. near the shoulder.
he bear went down ike a lump of lead, D
nd for a few seconds lay there. The
am backed away. his eyes glaring and D
Fery sense alert The bear rose to his
eet and gazed in unmistakable surprise
the ram.
If anybody ever wondered what had
ruek him, says Farmer Morely, shat u
EAR did"
But the bear didn't have time to fig
e the matter out, for the ram took
e air once more and landed against
ruin again, this time between the
-es- Again the bear BIT the dust All
is occurred so quickly that Farmer
oreiT had not yet come within sure
lnshot Of the bear. and before he
uld reach good range the bear rose
ann, but only got half way up, for the
m followed up his advantage and
unded his head the third time against
e trespasser. The bear lay stilI q mo-
mt and then sprang quickly to his
Z, turned, and began ; fottering re- ~
at. But Bruin did not get i've feet f
az. The ram caught the bear a
lndering blow on the neck, and down
Mt the discounted sheep stealing
am. The ram stood In position TO re-
t the dose. but il was unnecessary.
bear did not rise again. When
rmer Aorely got there he fonnd the
r. TO ah spPeerasces dead. but TO -,
ke sure he shot the animal in the 81
d. He might have saved his am
niiions The black rams last butt -
broken the bears neck, no doubt
ing the big brute instantly.
nom al accounts It Is not likely that
er Aorely's black ram win ever