Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-24

beard him in his den. as 1t were. to get
him out by any means, fair or roul. ana
then finish his business outside. kenna
was authorized to direct the attack. A
two miles walk brought us to the bears
lair. Kenna directed two Of the soldiers
to go I'D and remove some OF the rocks al
the head Of the canyon. and II possible
start a fire and cover 1t so the smoke
would be sucked back through the hole
where the bear was hiding.
THE rest Of US were to take station at the
mouth of the opening and shoot the bear
as he came out. The men got some grass
and buffalo chips and soon had a volume
of smoke pouring down the gorge that
would rival one Of Washington's soft-coal
burning chimneys. The smokers then
started to join us so as to get chance for
a shot. Before they got half way to us
one of them spied Mr.. Grizzly through
ehink in the rocks making tracks for the
opening Look out! here he comes shouted
the man. The rest of us. lined UP on one
side Of the entrance with our rifles at a
ready and felt our hearts beat faster at
the momentarily expected appearance OF
the bear.
an less time than it takes to tell it, out
came the bear at numbering gallop. puff
iSlg and snorting and occasionally passing
his great paws over his head as If to claw
out the smoke, which was sitting him. We
opened fire on him soon as he got clear
of the opening. and 1 don't think anybody
missed him. Except for turning his head
and swapping angrily at the places where
the bullets stung him he seemed to pay
no ate ntion to US at all. He had galloped
off fifty yards perhaps before he seemed
to realize what had happened. Meantime
all hands had kept up fusillade after him.
Bruin Takes Back Track.
Then bruin seemed to get the smoke
out of his eyes and to tumble to the racket
He made a short turn and started back for
u.s. Now, 1t would be wholly idle to at
tempt to describe my own feelings under
the circumstances. An overpowering wish
that l was somewhere else, far away, took
possession of me, and this was accentuated
by the knowledge of the hopelessness Of
that wish The others all acknowledged a
similar feeling afterward. We all began to
back away. but kept up a struggling fire at
the bear.
maddened animal and 1t seemed only
few clumsy lunges before he was on the
old hunter. Then Kenna did a thing which
almost paralyzed the rest of US with as
out of the bears way. he threw down his
rifle, pulled out the hatchet he always car
ried in his belt, and, raising it aloft, brought
it down with all his might on the bears
head as the latter closed in on him with
his tremendous arms. Bear and hunter
went down in a heap together. We all ran
up, not knowing which was most hurt but
determined to save the old man II possible.
But our efforts were unnecessary. Kenna
squeezed out from under the huge beast,
which was gasping his last, with a Ratchet
blade three inches long buried to the eye
In his brain Kenna was considerably
shaken up, and the bear had managed to
give him one swipe across the shoulder,
which made right ugly wound. But 9TH
erwise Kenna was smiling and intact.
well, to shorten a long story. the bear
weighed 600 pounds. we found. by the COM
missary's steelyards. Capt. Hargous gave
Kenna s25 for the petit l forgot how many
wounds we counted on the bear, but none
of them were fatal and if old man Kenna
had not been there with his Ratchet prob
ably would not be here tonight"