The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-02-25

c~latter, the tines ringing on the &C.
ment floor. His bearship, hesitated.
listened. let go my arm and looked to
see what the rake might be. Evident
ly he was on his guard against any
rescuer who might appear to give me
assistance. AS he dropped my arm he
lifted his snout, bringing 1t in exactly
the best position for me to deliver a
Knockout blow with my right. This
was what prize fighters would call an
opening" but Russian bears know
nothing about the tactical methods OF
boxers, and my a~sSailant was not con-
scious of his only weak spot. But l
knew and took advantage of 1t. No
sooner had he turned his nose than,
summoning all my failing energies, |
struck him a heavy blow ~squarely on
the end of the nose. For a bear this
is the Knockout blow. In an instant
the paws that had encircled me re.
Taxed and the almost victorious ami
NAL began to brush the stars from be-
fore his eyes in a ridiculous manner,
just as you have seen comical pictures
of hears in the act of keeping flies off
themselves. 1t is quite amusing now
but it wasn't funny then.
Escape from the Cage.
While the animal was engaged in
recovering his disturbed faculties ]
staggered to the gate. When l got
there I quickly opened it and backed
out. On the outside of the gate were
several policemen, and n of them
handed me a revolver. l took tho
weapon and started to reenter the
cage, but 1 vas feeling pretty groggy,
and, before l could reach the gate, |
fell over in q faint, brought on by the
loss of blood, the pain and the extraor-
binary exertion l had undergone. The
rest of the adventure was merely a
matter Of hospital, doctors and nurses.
l lay my escape entirely to the COM
motion made by the rake when 1t was
thrown into the pit. 1t came at thu
right moment and in the proper place
to distract bruins attention so as to
make him throw his head in the right
position for me to give him the knock
out blow.
The Knockout Blow.
And now a word as to this knock
out blow, because some who read this
may find themselves in close quarters
with a savage animal some day. A
lard blow across the nostrilS just be-
low the point where the bone or hard
portion of the head ends ana the soft
r c~artilaginous part begins will al
ways blind and often wholly over
come an animal. l am not prepared to
say that the effect Of such a blow is
he same as that which a blow on the
point of the chin produces in a human
1eing, and which as l understand af-
fects certain nerve centers. Many
ines 7 have been compelled to strike
animals across the nOstrils in the man
ler l nave described, and the effect
reduced has always been the same.
APPARENTLY they "see things" and be-
in to brush them away with their
paws. Possibly the sudden darkening
If their vision causes them to try to
remove what they feel to be an OBJ
3truction. But l leave that for scien-
;ific students of the subject. 1t is
enough for me to congratulate myself
On that l was permitted to give the
Russian bear a Knockout blow at the
right time and place.
How did l get over it? Oh! that
was easy, but it took time. No, |
haven't been in with the Russian bear
since. l am not looking for trouble
l learned one thing at least. and thai
is never to trust in the friendship OF
the Russian bear.
Copyright, 1903, By Joseph B. Bowles.)