Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-29

the pan. The old bear wasn't to be fooled,
however. He made a half circuit around the
trap and after a day and a night a wolf
walked into it and was almost cut in two
as the Jaws closed. Then we made a spring
trap by bending down a stout spruce and
using a loop of horsehair lariat, but the bear
turned aside and avoided it and we caught
a NANCY wolf. We then constructed a dead
fall at the mouth of the ravine, meaning
that a heavy log should hold the bear pris-
oner until we could otherwise secure him,
but though We baited it with choice meat he
was too sharp for us.
Fixing n Trap.
when it became certain that Ephraim
knew of our presence and was chuckling
over our defeats, the half-breed suggested
a very simple dodge. Half way down the
riVine was a smaller one co ming in at right
angles. Fortunately for lis the soil was soft
and deep, and one forenoon we dug a pit FIVE
feet wide, ten feet long and about ten feet
deep. The mouth was covered with light
poles and over the poles we spread bunch
grass and dirt. When our work was finished
the sharpest eye could detect no trace. So
far as we could judge the bear did most Of
his roaming by day. When the pit was
ready we withdrew and did not go near he
ldNIut again HUI luo III udy. lutli VIC
made a circuit along the mountainside TO
reach the lateral without leaving a trail, and
at 8 o'clock in the forenoon all OF us were
we'll hidden except Joe. He sat out In The
open on a rock, Just beyond the pit, and with
a stick he kept up a pretty constant tapping
on the rock. The sound was one to excite
the curiosity of any animal and was plainly
TO be heard at the bears den. 1t was a full
horD, however, before the grizzly came down
to see what the noise signifed. At the
junction of the ~ravine. which WAC about
ltty feet from our position, the old fellow
sat down to size up the situation. All he
could see was a half-brecd pounding at a
rCcE. He shifted and growlal. but didn't
seem to be looking for trouble. Joe got
down from his perch and began to dance and
sing, but the bear didn't FIRE UP. Then The
man began throwing stones, and 1t was only
after bruin had been hit the third time
that he got mad and made a rush. With
blood in his eyes and his te4th showing like
gravestones he came on, but as he struck
the pit he turned n d-over-end and dIsap-
peared from sight.
1--WE had our bear at last, but hardly had
our shouts of exultation died away when We
began to wonder If he hadn't got us as well.
We hadn't figured on a bear in a pit. Had
he fallen on his back we might have noosed
his legs, but he fell on his feet and gave
us to understand that there was lots OF
trouble ahead. We designed to throw a
moose over his head and choke him, but he
ducked and lodged like a prlzefghter. When
we had worked away all day he was still
ahead of the game and we were very much
discouraged. 1t was finally decided to send
a man over to Hamilton's for chloroform and
sponges, and the messenger left next morn
ing at daybreak. During the two days he
was absent We cut long, slim stakes and
drove them into the soil at the bottom of
the pit, so as to contract the space, and we
finally had the bear in close quarters. He
didn't allow the work TO go on without OBJ
jections. He tore out many of the stakes
and chewed them to matchwood, and toward
the last he got SO mad that he had a sort
of fit.
Putting Him 10 sleep.
1.-The messenger returned with enough
chloroform TO put four bulls to sleep. We
tied the sponges to the ends of poles, and
when all was ready We saturated them and
attacked all together. Ephraim was game
to the last, but he finally gave up, and Joe
descended into the pit and tied his legs
together and fastened a hauling rope around
his body. BY means OF skids and one Of
the horses and hauling altogether we got
the big bulk out of the pit, but 1t was two
hours hard work and we had to use chloro-
form thrice over. When bruin was out we