The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1899-06-15
AN EXCITING BATTLE.
A WICKED ENCOUNTER BETWEEN A
MAN AND A BEAR.

II Ended In C1inch and a Roll
Down a snow Covered Mountain
Sfde--A Close Call, In Which the
Man just Escaped with His Life.
TO 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, i But
that is what happened to Frank Lecky
Of Fresno, and when it was all over he
had only a view scratches and bruises
and big bearskin to show. as signs Of
his terrible encounter.
cit was the wickedest fight I ever
got into, = said Frank when telling of
his experiences, 'tand have been in a
good many. going out hunting in the
Sierras every winter, as I do. c
This big fight happened up in the
Whitney country. It was just few
miles east Of the Minarets and in the
spot where "a fellow is always pretty
sure to find big game.
1t wasspretty late in the afternoon,
and was all alone in camp, as the
other boys had not returned from deer
hunt they started on in the morning.
81 had been DOING in the tent all
day, but came out to have look at the
sky: As glanced along the top of a
bluff few hundred feet from the camp
saw something dark moving about
That was enough for me. got my
rife and started right after it. The kind
of game was going after didn't con-
Germ me at all, but really didn't ex-
pect bear, at least such big cantanker-
Gus bear.
Taking q roundabout way through
the snow. / soon reached the top of the
bluff and began to crawl along care
fully in order to get a good resting shot
and not come upon my game too sud-
denly. '.S .T4s Il
Finally I caught close view Of q
big dark body moving behind clump
of bushes. twas SO large that for
moment I thought had been stalking
COW and was ready to kick myself
Then long drawn sniff and adeep
growl told me it was bear wis sight
ing. Instantly / was all excited with
interest and strained every nerve TO get
the beast in line and so planta bullet IN.
the right spot. The bear. however had
mind tokeep his eyes on me and kept
moving about as he peered between the,
branches Of the brush. 49,
Suddenly one Of the horses down i'm
the camp neighed loudly and attracted
the bears attention. AS the bear turns,
ed and exposed his side fired. Down
went the bear like bag Of wheat. and
1 Rought my rifle ball must have gone
caeah through its brain. Without stop
ping tohccnsider whether my shot had
xea3l been fatal. rushed forward. AS
4 M6oped1 down to see where the ball
struck, the bear jumped up, and then
q knew I had only creased it--that is,
Just grazed its head or spinal cord and
knocked it senseless for moment.
Before | could swing my rife for
ward to get in shot the bear had
Knocked 1t ont Of my hands and was
right on top Of me. Somehow man
aged to draw my knife and get in few
jabs that did no damage. The bear
Rugged me tighter and tighter, and II
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
clawing blows by hngging tightly
against him. jabbed and jabbed as
we rolled over and over, and the bears
face and claws were pretty badly cut
and one of his eyes was put ont of SER
vice. The 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 a hundred feet to the bottom.
This frightened me more than the
bear. for knew what it meant, but be-
fore 7 could think Of doing anything we
were over the edge and rolling down at !
speed.
1T could not have taken more than
q few seconds, but it seemed to me like |
ysasz VOW j was on top Of the Deas.