The Ordway new era., 1906-04-06
rue Stored ~ the Old Days.

. oRlle DELlHtAD.

though he would eventually tire the
uog out. After much persuasion the
DIG do was finally induced to swim
In to his assistance.
swimming up to :he fighting palr
the big brute shut Its eyes tightly and
made n grab for the otter, when at that
instant, the other dogs head coming
IN the way, hc seized him by the side
OF the head and turning his cour.e
started towing the whole outfit to shore
Ike u steam propeller.
jim said II was now only n question
OF the small dogs endurance of the
pain. He still kept fast old of his
same. but before the bank was reached
the pain Decame uncomfortable. when
letting 20 of the otter he turned TO
hght the big dog loose. and In the col.
fusion :hc otter made good his es.
cape.
When my father was n young man
he lived In Central Ohio, where n hand
ful OF settlers We're. for n time, quite
Isolated in the big woods. The work
of clearing the heavy forest was very
great. and as the first small fields were
fenced and planted to corn the plo-
neers We're very much annoyed by the
depredatlons of black bears, which
clambercd over the rail fences in the
| night time and went for the roasting
ears in a style that was exasperating.
Finally hunt was planned and
the half dozen settlers gathered at the
| cabin OF the one whose field was har-
rIcd the worst and where the bears
entered the field. proceeded to set two
guns, heavily loaded. and with strings
| attached TO the triggers in such man
ner as TO have the thieves prove their
own cNecutioners. Getting everything
arranged before nighifall all repaired
to the cabin to watch In silence and
darkness the result of heir well laid
plan.
The guns were set In different places.
one on each side Of the little field. One
was but small rifle while the other
was a tremendous affair. one OF the
| largest guns ever brought into that
part of the country. Both We're heavily
loaded and two big bullets We're
rammed down the throat of the larger
one.
| AS darkness set In fine mist began
| falling. and In "A short time the report
Of the little gun was heard. The young
er members of the group were for rush
ing right out into the night, and 1t re-
quircd all the influence of the older
hunters to check them. rs 1t was ex-
planned TO them that the falling mist
had shrunken the line, and that the
| gun was fired in this manner.
Quiet was finally restored and with
n lighted lantern in readiness again
they waited. Finally, near midnight.
the roar OF the big gun filed the silent
woods. flushing out into the night
the larger party carrying the lantern
ran in the cornfeld. while two others
ran down the cowpath which circled
the little field on the outside. A tre-
mendous commotion was heard among
the cornstalks in front, and the little
party of excited hunters ran down the
corn rows in hope, by the aid of the
| lighted lantern, to get shot ut the
bear.
| The mortally wounded animal. which
afterward proved to be monster in
size, ran for the fence to climb over
into the woods. outside the fence the
two men could see nothing distinctly.
but hearing the riot of smashing corn
stalks and excited yells. the one in
front sprang for the fence to climb
over. at the very point where the
| tumult seemed eliminating. and Just
rs he was reaching for hand hold OF
the top rail the bear spranS over the
| fence directly in front of him. ana
tumblng down from the top OF the
fence knocked the hunter Hat upon
his back and fell all over him. when
the stricken brute crawled a short dis
tance into the darkness and died.
| Yells of pain and anguish now rose
| from the PROSTATE hunter. so uneX-
pectedly fiattened by the fleeing bear
| Climbing over the fence the pursuing
party now brought the light of the
lantern to bear on his PROSTATE FORM
and were Mortified to see that the
moor fellow was covered with blood
and apparently mortally hurt.
| In n faint tone of voice he begged to
he taken to the house, explaining that
the ferocious brute had torn his en-
trails entirely out of him, and when
| the open bosom Of his buckskin hunt-
Ing shirt was opened more widely. TO
| the horror of his friends out rolled u
pile of bloody entrails. The fainting
man was tenderly carried to the house.
his clothes removed and body washed
and the skin wasn't broken on him.
The dying bear. dragging his entrails
after him, had deposited part of his
bloody burden in the open bosom or
the hunters shirt, as the rails of the
fence had torn them loose. The NOR
tally wounded hunter recovered quickly
f-om his hurt. but not for many day
from the jeering merriment OIL LIS
/ friends.-Forest and Stream.