The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-29
BROKE BRUINS NECK.
[From the New york SUM-

lETOIn the New 7 DIRK sun.
Among the farm possessions of one
Peter Morely who lives along the wat
ers of Little Kettle creek, in PennsyI-
vania, is a large black ram. AS the
story comes in from there, like Jim
Smiley's famous jumping frog, no one
noticed until recently any more points
about this ram than there were about
any other ram. Now this ram is the
sensation in the Little Kettle creek
country, for he has proved himself a
benefactor to the neighborhood by kill
ing, alone and unaided, and in one, two,
three order, a 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
Merely heard that the cunning mutton
stealer had been seen in that vicinity,
and he posted his eighteen-year-old boy
Peter as a guard over the field where
his sheep were feeding. The boy was
armed with a double-barreled shotgun
loaded with buckShOt If the bear ap-
peared young Peters instructions were
to give him both barrels. Young More
~ 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 accommodating having prob
ably discovered to him the boy and
the gun on guard About the middle
of the afternoon of the third day, how
startled to see the bear jump over
the stone wall, only a few feet from
where he was sitting The bear put so
ferOciOuS a front toward the lad that
he dropped his gun, Sprang over the
wall and ran at the top of his speed
toward a field not far distant, where his
father was at work. Farmer Merely
started for the sheep pasture as fast
as he could run. When the bear ap-
peared in the field the sheep were feed
ing in a group in the middle of the lot.
By the time Farmer Merely reached
the fence where the frightened boy had
left the gun only one of the flock re-
manned where the group had been. That
one was the black ram. The others had
fed into a far corner of the field, where
they were huddled together, bleating
in terror as they gazed back at the
shutting form of the bear.
Bears are epicurean in their tastes,
and if they visit a pigstye it is always
the youngest and latest inmate they
select. If it is mutton they are after.
they work on the same principle. So
this particular 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 bleating flock be-
yond. 1t was at this interesting mo
ment in the proceedings that Farmer
Merely appeared at the wall. The bear
had got in range of the ram as he
shuffied contemptuously along.a then
the ram seems to have made up his
mind that this ugly looking stranger
had no business there. He 1eaped into
the air and like a shot threw his thick,
hard head against the bear striking
the big brute in the side, near the
shoulder. The bear went down like 4
lump of lead, and for a few seconds
lay there The ram backed away, his
eyes glaring and every sense alert. The
bear rose to his feet and gazed in I'M
mistakable surprise at the ram.
IF anybody ever wondered what had
struck him. says Farmer Merely, that
bear did,
But the bear didn't have time to fig
ure the matter out, for the ram took
the air once more and landed against
Bruin again, this time between the
eyes Again the bear bit the dust. All
this occurred so quickly that Farmer