The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-11-01

IL Sn0 Sas bssn fSr %SGs pS@shIns 'nen it in %SV,l %y
oming, has had some exciting expert
ences in his search for big game.
The country in which he has chosen
to spend his vacation Is famous for
bears of the black and silver tip va
riety. More people are killed by these
animals than by guns and during the
past twelve years over dozen hunt
ers have fallen victims TO the beas"s 4
raGe.
Mr.. Sommers was an eye witness to
n remarkable battle between "A man
and a bear. which he describes In a
letter to his paper:
"In going down tho mountains on
the 22d Of June" writes Mr.. Sommers
az saw one of the most wonderful
fights with n bear that has probably
ever occurred in this part Of the coun-
try. | witnessed every detail OF the
exciting and dangerous conflict be-
tween man and beast The hunter,
whom | afterward met, was George
Saban, one of the largest sheep owners
In the State and man who served
with gallantry with the Rough Riders
In the war with Spain.
"He saw a bear crossing n range of
low hills. He had neither gun nor
knife, but with the daring spirit Of the
frontiersman, he started in pursuit
hoping to capture the animal with an
ordinary rope which hung to the pom
mel OF his saddle.
"Ten times he cast the rope with
trained hand and arm. Each time IT
fell with perfect precision over the
head Of bruin, but each time the brute,
with a movement which seemed al
most human. with his forcpnws lifted
the rope from around his neck before
Sehan could tighten the moose.
"On t6e eleventh cast the rope struck
the bear in his open mouth, and be
fore he could get it out the knot was
drawn tight at the back of his head.
"Then the real battle began. First
the bear would drag the horse and
then the horse would drag the bear
by the rope. Then the bear would
finest horsemanship and n most agile
broncho avoided the rush.
''Time and again as | witnessed
these rushes / thought horse and rid
er would surely go down before them.
l was unarmed, so could not 20 to his
assistance, although he waved for help
repeatedly. He told me afterward:
L certainly at that point would have
turned the bear loose had you not seen
me, but after that my pride was up,
and | determined to make the fight to
a finish
"The battle lasted for more than an
hour, gradually man and horse getting
the better of 1t, and bruin was finally
dragged to Saban's sheep camp. where
his herder and camp owner were.
Saban got rifle and commenced
pumping lead into the brute He was
dismounting and had fred four shots
each one entering the head, but still
the bear came on.
at was intensely exciting 1t looked
like every minute the bear would bc
juncture of the fight why he acted as
he did. l will quote his own language
h-"~1 was surprised that | had not
killed the bear. knew with the shots
| and the other men had fired that he
bad twelve balls in him, mostly in
the head l waited with my gun to
my shoulder az he came on. | thought
l had one more load in my gun. | let
him get within two feet OF me with
the barrel of the gun at his open mouth
when | pulled the trigger. 1t snapped,
there was no load. had made fatal
mistake. thought it was all up with
me. | turned to run and fell. In an
instant | felt the hot breath Of the
bear in my face
1T was at this juncture that the
other men got hold of the rope and
with one tremendous pnll dragged the
bear from the PROSTATE man In an
other instant he would have been
killed d"-Louisyille Courer-Journal