The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-05-10
AN'EXCITTNG BATTLE.
A WICKED ENCOUNTER BETWEEN A
MAN AND A BEAR.

II Ended In n CIInch and Roll
Down snow Covered Mountain
side--A Ciose Call. In Which the
Man just Escaped with His Life.
To roll down II snow covered noun
tain side tightly Clasped in the embrace
of grizzly bear is nm experience few
men pass through and live to tell But
that is what happened to Frank Lecky
of Fresno, and when it was all over he
had only few scratches and bruises
and a big bearsllin to show "a signs of
his terrible encounter.
at was the wickedest fight | ever
got into, said Frank when telling of
his experiences, land have been in Il
good many going out hunting in the
Siorras every winter, as do.
''This big fight happened up in the
Whitney country, 1t was just q few
miles east OF the Minnrets and An the
spot where fellow is always pretty
sure to find big game.
at was pretty lato In the afternoon.
and | was all alone in camp. us tho
other boys had not returned from deer
hunt they started on in tho morning
81 had been doing in the tent all
day, but came out 20 have look at the
sky As l glanced along tho top of
bluff few hundred feet from the camp
! saw something dark moving about
"That was enough for me. got my
rifle aud started right after 1t. The kind
of game | was going after didn't con-
eern me at all. but | really didn't ex
pect bear, Mt least such big cantanker
ous hear.
"raking roundabout way through
the SNOW. l Soon reached the top of the
bluff and began to crawl along care
fully in order to get good resting shot
and not come upon my game too sud
denly.
"Finally | caught II close view of u
big dark body moving behind clump
of bushes 1t was 70 large that for u
moment thought l had been stalking
COW and was ready to kick myself.
Then long drawn sniff and deep
growl told me it was bear | was sight
ing. Instantly | was all excited with
interest and strained every nerve to get
tho beast in line and 30 plant bullet in
the right spot. The bear, however had
IA mind to keep his eyes on me and kept
moving about as he peered between the
branches Of the brush
"Suddenly one of tho horses down in
tho camp noighed loudly and attracted
tho bears attention. As the bear turn
ed and exposed his side fired Down
q ALL
l thought my rifle ball must have gone
clean through its brain. Without stop
ping to consider whether my shot had
really been fatal, rushed forward. As
| stopped down to see where tho ball
struck, the bear jumped up and then
| knew | had only 'crcased it-that is
just graged its head or spinal cord and
knocked il senseless for n moment.
Before 1 could swing my rifle for
wnrd TO get in shot the bear had
knocked it out Of my hands and was
right on top Of me. Somehow l man
aged to draw my knife and get in a few
jabs that did no damage. The bear
Rugged me tighter and tighter and
kicked harder and harder and jabbed
wildly with my knife. Then we both
rolled on the ground, and the bear tried
to bite my face but | kept off his fast
clawtHs blows by hugging tightly
against him. | jabbed and jabbed as
we ioIed over and over, and the bears
face and claws wero pretty badly cut
and ono Of his eyes was put out of ser
vice Tho snow all around was torn up
and spattered with blood.
"Before / knew it we were Just ON
the edge of the bluff, and an almost
vertical wall Of snow lay just below us
for over hundred feet TO the bottom.
'"This frightened me more than the
bear, for | knew what II meant. but be-
fore / could think Of doing anything we
were over tho edge and rolling down at
lightning speed.
at could not have taken moro than
few seconds, but it seemed to me like
years Now | was on top OF the bear,
and now underneath. Snow filed my
eyes ind ears and | was scratched and
wounded and bumped until | thought
my end had come.
''lt seems to mo that | kept striking
at the bear az we rolled, or rather shot,
downward, for we were going Mt tho
speed OF cannon ball. Then there was
n sudden bump while was ON top. and
the bear give moan of pain and let
90 of me.
"That gave me my chance. and l
drove my knife into his heart.
1.-THE skin measured over seven feet.
| found ont while we were cutting him
mp that when no struck the rock at tho
bottom Of the hill he shattered his
spine 1t was just piece Of luck that
the bear struck the rock and not my.
self. - San Francisco Call.