The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-14
THE BEAR CHASED UNCLE Rem.
If 1t Had Been the other Way There
Wouldn,t Have Been Any Uncle Ben Left.

M1LISoCKET. Me-. May 11.-After hunting
bears for more than sixty years Uncle Der"
York. the aged West Branch guide. met with
his first defeat last Sunday. Since May l Ben
has been busy taking parties up Milinocket
Lake after trout. which are biting we'll. On
two evenings. when walking back to camp, he
saw traces Of a bear that had c rossed the road
On Sunday he went out to make further in
vestigation. Though the So bounty has been
taken off from bears. the pelt. meat and
tallow are always valuable. not to men,
ton the fuss and excitement which al
ways attend q good bear hunt. Though
Uncle Ben Is as bad as the average men
for six days in the week. he is always
pious on Sunday. and while 1t Is not sinful to
look at bear tracks on the Lords day, money
cannot hire him to shoot a bear or dig one from
his cave between Saturday night and Monday
morning. For this reason Uncle Ben took no
weapon but a small woodsman's axe when he
went out on the Sabbath. thinking OF holy
things and keeping q sharp lookout for signs
OF bear.
He had crossed the level tract OF land where
a big pulp mill is soon to be erected and had
entered a rocky road which leads up the side
OF Gerrish's Mountain. when. passing q clump
OF black spruces. he came face to face with the
bear. He united the axe from his belt and took
of his Maokinaw jacket. The bear erowled. sat
up on his launches. and Rugged himself In a
way that suggested he would like to embrace
Uncle Ben for a few minutes. Mr.: York made
q short detour. hoping to reach the bear from
behind, but though he came out on tho uphill
side Of his adversary. Bruin had made nm
abo9t-face. movement and was ready for the
conflict; Uncle Ben made two feints and then
struck home with his axe. intending to crush
the bears skull. As the axe came down the
bear lodged to. one side. and. raising his left
paw, hit tho side OF the blade and sent the
weapon spinning into the woods.
The bear had twenty sharp claws and nearly
as many sharp teeth. all Of which we're avail
able for fighting purposes. Ben's only weapon
was q rusty tobacco knife with n blade not over
three inches long. Knowing, the advantage
ment, Uncle Ben turned and ran up the hill as
fast. as his legs could. carry him. the bear fol-
owing about four rods behind.
The top OF the mountain is bare @ trees and
larger, than hard bark shrubs and a few blue:
berry bushes. Uncle Ben, was nearly winded
when he emerged from the woods and began
to scale the top. but the bear was apparently AS
fresh as ever. Catching at the low shrubs to
help him along. Uncle Ben was half way to the
hand. He stepped | in the hole where the roots
had come out and as he did so the hill shook
witt. a tremor and q great mass OF earth began
to slide down the side Of the mountain; Twice
clear down to the ledge. When 1t turned the
tons. and all OF It fell. on top the bear. After
that Uncle Ben, heard the trees crack in tho
fringed with second growth wood. 60 rushing
and roaring to the plains below. Then he
tainted from exhaustion,
"Ef ] he'd a bin chasin' the bar instid OF the
OF whar "a bin now. II. would a took twenty
men n hull week ter find the remains.n