Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-09-20
NERVY MAN, NERvY BEAR.
Bruin Dragged Into Camp and Finished
With I3 Bullets.

| wan ~ 0auttos
Henry A. Sommers, editor Of th'
Elizabethtown News, who for mOr'
than a month had been roughing il
in Wyoming, has had some exciting
experiences in his hunt for big game
The country in which he has chosen tt
spend his vacation is famous for bears
of the black and silver tip variety
More people are killed by these animals
than by guns, and during the past l.
years over a dozen hunters have fallen
victims to the beasts rage Last June
Mr.. SOmmers was an eye witness to d
remarkable battle between man and
| a bear, which he describes in a letter
to his paper.
| "In going down the mountain on
the 23d of June, writes Mr. Sommers,
81 saw one of the most wonderful
fights with a bear that has probably
ever occurred in this part of the coun
try. l witnessed every detail of the
exciting and dangerous conflict be-
tween man and beast. The hunter,
whom | afterward met, was Mr..
George Saban, one of the largest sheep
owners in the State, and a man who
served with great gallantry with the
Rough Riders in the war with Spain.
''He saw bear crossing range of
low bills. He had neither a gun nor
knife, but with the daring spirit of
the hefrOntiersman be started in pursuit,
hoping to capture the animal with an
ordinary rope which hung at the pom
mel of his saddle. Ten times he cast
that rope with a trained band and
arm. Each time it fell with perfect
precision over the head of bruin, but
each time the brute, with movement
which seemed almost human, with his
forepaws lifted the rope from around
his neck before Saban could tighten
the moose. On the eleventh cast the
rope struck the bear in his open
mouth, and before he could get it out
the knot was drawn tight at the back
of bis 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 make
rush at the rider and only the finest
hOrsemanship and a most agile broncho
a unidoI tho NInoa md
l witnessed these rushes I thought
horse and rider would surely go down
before them. | was unarmed, so could
not go to his assistance, although he
waved for help repeatedly. He told
me afterward: I certainly at that
point would have turned the bear
loose had you not seen me, but after
that my pride was up and l determin-
ed to make the fight to finish.
1.-The battle lasted for more than an
hour, gradually man and horse getting
the better of it. and bruin was finally
dragged to Saban's sheep camp, where
his herder and camp mover were. Sa-
ban got Wincheste rifle and COM
menced pumping lead into the brute
He was dismounted and had fired four
bots, each one Ell tering the head, but
still the bear came on. 1t was intense
ly exciting. 1t looked like every mi
mute the bear would be on the man.
Saban told me at this juncture of the
fight why he acted as he did. l Will
quote his own language.
81 was surprised that | had not
killed the bear. l know with the shots
| and the other men had fred that he
had IL balls in him, mostly in the head.
I waited with my gun to my shoulder
as he came in. l thought l had one
more load on my gun. I 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. l had made fatal mis-
take. 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.
at was at this juncture that the 9th
er men got hold of the rope, and with
one tremendous pull dragged the bear
from the prostrate man. In another
instant he would have been killed. BY
this time the whole crowd was demor-
allied. The rope had gotten loose and
the bear started for the forest. One
of the men fired shot. which went di
rectly through his heart, and he fell
dead in his tracks. 1t was worth 60
Ing to Wyoming to see. There were
II balls in that BEARS head and neck
and not one or all of them killed him"
Louisville Courier j ournaL.
The mother who would be hOrrified