Evening star., 1899-03-03
KILLING A DEAR.
French Trapper Topped Of Bruins
Head With n Saw
point.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean

rrom the CDlcago lnter-Ocean.
Put a Maine Frenchman in a lean-to
camp on the shore of a muddy pond that is
surrounded by brown ash swamp and he
will earn from 81 to $50 day. and get
most of his living from the pickerel and
rabbits which he catches with set lines and
snares. Mitchell King who went to Chain
lake early in December and took possession
of a bank-covered lean-to camp. took in a
bag Of Indian meal and a round of pork
to last him until the beginning Of Lent.
He has fed on johnny bread and pork fat
at breakfast, steamed rabbit and hasty
pudding at dinner, and fried pickerel with
hcecake at supper for six weeks. and has
saved up nearly $50. Two weeks ago, when
the red squirrels invaded his meal sack,
he set dead-falls and caught squirrels
enough to make the groundwork for six
dinners. He liked rabbit stew bette, than
squirrel soup, but excused his change of
diet by saying:
'Ze meal wat heem squirrel stole mus
ccme back eff l halter keel an eet allie re
dam squirrel in ze woods
After the squirrels had depleted his meal
bag Mitchell took his round of salt pork
and, walking far out on the trunk of a
leaning hemlock. that formed the ridgepole
to mis- camp, hung the meat in the top of
a sapltng, and left it to freeze. When he
went to hack off some slices Tor breakfast
the next morning he was enraged to find
that part of it had been stolen during the
night, and at once suspected Jimmy st.
Peters, a half-starved saUcy French boy,
who lived in a camp about half mile away.
Mitchell set about a plan to 'feeX ze gar
con so heem steal not any more" To ac-
compfsh this laudabie purpose he rugged
a ladder against the side of the leaning
hemlock, and, borrowing a crosscut saw
proceeded to saw the trunk from the under
side until the top wood was so thin that it
would hardly hold the tree in place.
Having done this, Mitchell returned to
camp and went TO bed, leaving the bor-
rowed saw standing against the open side
OF the lean-to. Along in the night, when
the fire outside had burned down to dull
em5ers, Mitchell was suddenly and rudey
awakened by a crashing and snarling noise
on the roof of his camp. Before he had
time to crawl from the blankets the trunk
of tree, bearing a long, knifelike splinter
on one side, shot end first through the bark
roofing ard, rolling half way over as it
came. collided with the snow drifts out
side pinning Mitchell to the ground under
nearly a half ton of wood. The bed of dry
leaves and hemlock toughs upon which he
slept saved him from being crushed to
death He was lying on his back when the
tree hit him-across the chest and abdo
men. AS soon as the air was free from
flying bark and spfinters he began to wrig-
gle about, hoping to find a place of escape.
The need of immediate action was appar-
ent, because the butt end Of the tree which
held him down had fallen into the fire,
which was taking hold of the new fuel
with avidity. Unless he got ont in half
hour the fire would follow uD the trunk
and set fire TO his camp. roasting him alive.
AS he could not pull himself from under
the tree, he strained his muscles until he
had secured the crosscut saw. Armed with
this, he proceeded to draw it back and
forth across the top of the log which i'm
prsoned him. pushing and pulling with
frantic energy and feeling faint whenever
he looked at the fire and saw the flames
wa L no ha
The tree was half cut in two and Nit
chell was feeling hopeful when something
nirped him in the calf of the leg. causing
lin to roar out with pain. Propping him.
self as high as he could. with his hands
behind him, he looked over the log and
gazed into the eyes of lean bear, which
YVES held down by the fallen stick four
feet nearer the back end of the camp than
the place which Mitchell occupieds
When the F'renchman realized that he
was doomed to be burned alive If he kept
still, and was certain of being killed by
n wounded bear if he dared to move he
began to talk to the bear in his most ner-
sUasive patOis asking the animal to take
fold of the other handle Of the saw and
help him cut the log in two, and promising
life and liberty in case they escaped before
the fire got at them. For answer the bear
srowled, and nipped him in the side of his
foot, which had lately been frozen The
rain made Mitchell pull away quickly
that he moved himself so that the log rest
ed across his hips. He was now so far out
of prison that he could sit up and throw
his above the timber.
Seated in this position, he took the cross
cut saw and applied il to the neck of the
bear, saving the animals head of with
about a dozen cuts. Having removed one
enemy, Mitchell made short work of the
log, cutting it in two and rolling the blaZ-
ing end out of the camp just the bark
roofing was taking fire.
The Frenchman got $5 bounty on the
bear and sold the pelt for $40. The flesh
will supply him with meat for a month
to come while the bears grease, applied
to his bruises and bites has so nearly
cured him that he is able to cut and shave
loops nearly as fast he did before he
set trap for Jimmy st. Peters.