Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-09-21
IN EXCITING BATTLE.
n WICKED ENCOUNTER BETWEEN A
MkN AND 4 BEAR.


n Faded II C,inch and Roll
Down n Saov Covered Mountain
Sids-t Close Call. In which the
Han Just Escaped with His Life.
10 roll down snow covered noun
tain side tightly clasped in the embrace
Of grizzly bear is an experience few
men pass through and live To tell. But
that is what happened 10 Frank Lecky
Of Fresno and when it was all over he
had only few scratches and bruises
ana a biz hearskin TO show rs signs OF
his terrible encounter.
lit was the wickedest fight ever
got into. said Frank when telling Of
his experiences. land l have been in
good many. going out hunting in the
SlerraS every winter, as do.
This big fight happened up in the
Whitney country 1t was just few
miles east Of the Minarets and in the
spot where fellow is always pretty
sure to find big game -
1T was pretty late in the afternoon,
and | was all alone in camp, as the
other boys had not returned from n deer
hunt they started on in the morning.
Il had been doing in the tent all
day. but came ont 10 have a look at the
sky. As | glanced along the top of
bluff a few hundred feet from the camp :
saw something dark moving about.
"Tha, was enough for me. got M
rife and started right after it. The kind
Of game was going after didn't coss :
Germ me ut all. hut really didn't ex'
pcct bear. at least such big cantanker-
cas- bear
Taking roundabout way through
the snow. soon reached the top of the
hluG and began 10 crawl along care
fully in order 10 get good resting shot
and not como upon my game too sud-
denly
Finally caught close view of .
big Gar, body moving behind II clump
Of bushes IL was 80 large that for
moment | thought had been stalking =
a COW and was ready TO kick myself J
Then II long drawn sniff and deep
ing Instantly | WAS all excited with
interest and strained every nerve To get I.
the beast IN line and 40 plant bullet in
the right spot. The bear. however had
Il mind to keep his eyes on me and koS.y
moving about rs he pccrcd between {
branches Of the brush.
suddenly one Of the horses down
the camp ucighcd loudly and attractd
the bears attention As the bear turn
ed and exposed his side | fired. Down
went the bear like u bag Of wheat. and
thought my rife ball must have gone I
clean through is brain Without SIC
ping 10 consider whether my shot bat
really been fatal. rushed forward. AsN
stopped down 60 see where the v
struck the bear jumped up and ~
knew had only creased it-that ~.
just grazcd it's head or spinal cord and \
knocked it scnselcss for moment ~
Before ! could swing my rifle f0r'e
ward 10 get in shot the bear had
knocked ii ont of my hands and WA
right on top Of ne. Somehow ! md \
aged to draw my knife and get in ~
labs that did no damage. The bfk ?
Rugged me tighter and tighter. anW NJ
kicked harder aud harder and jaObes
wildly with my knife Then we both
rolled ON the ground. and the bear tried
10 bite my face. but ! kept of his fast
clawing blows by buggiDg tightly
against him jabbed and Jnbbe ,as
we rolled over and over, and the beaft
face and claws were pretty badly cuiF
and one Of his eyes was put ont of 3
vice. The snow all around was torn
and spattered with blood.
Before | knew IL we were just n
the edge of the bluff. and an almoY
vertical wall Of snow lay just below
for over a hundred feet TO the bottom. "
This frightened me more than th
bear. for knew what ii meant. but bet
fore | could think Of doing anything we
were over the edge and rolling down at
lightning speed.
at could not have taken more than
a few seconds. but it seemed 10 me like
years. Now ! was on top Of the, bear.
and now underneath. Snow filed eG
eyes and ears, and was scratched a
wounded and bumped until thong =
my end had come
at seems 10 me that kept striking
at the bear az we rolled, or rather sbf<
downward. for we were going at ~
speed Of a cannon ball. Then there va
a sudden bump while ] was on top, a
the bear gave q moan Of pain aud
20 Of me
THAT gave me my chance. and
drove my knife into his heart. #
THE skin measured over seven IA
found ont while we were cutting ~ a
MP that when he struck the rock at G.
bottom Of the hill he shattered \.
spine. II was just piece Of luck tha
the bear struck the rock and not ny q
self San Francisco Call 1/
short sighted. ~
Mel N bherty - Ovid IIurlo M.