The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1906-02-23
HUNTERS OUTWITTED

Bristol, Nt.--Martin Rivers and Bin
lombard had some luck huntin' the
other day, but at the same time they
experienced quite mess o. hard
luck, as they express it. Their hard
Nuck was their own fault, yet they lay
1t onto %kantankerous circumstances
over which they had no control Be
that as it may, their luck was of the
Mp-tlap variety, and the last flip was
Df the adamant kind.
lne men heard that deer were thick
or than bees around a posy bed up
Goshen-@ay and being venison hungry
lhey set forth, armed with a couple or
rines, an appetite and endless enthu-
5iasm. They figured that if they start
ed early they could get buck by noon
and be back in time to have liver for
supper.
i tell ye what" said Bill. II be-
Aeve I'm SO hungry for yenison "a
most rather stay out all night than GO
home without deer. i don't know
Just when I've had such a hankering
Tor anything, unless twas tobacco once
when run clean out campin'"
Same here" replied Martin. And
don't WANT to be laughed at either.
Id rather kill q goodsized buck than
anything | know of, less it's a bear.
Darned If l wouldn't rather kill
bear"
They say they're middin thick"
said Bill.
But we've never had luck enough
to get one, consarn it!''
After they had struck into the woods
they separated, the one taking one side
of narrow slash or divide and the
other the opposite side. Deer tracks
were everywhere and the hunters were
not long in picking out the spoor of
big buck and following it in a manner
that boded no good for the deer. 1t
was difficult trailing, but Rivers and
Lombard progressed rapidly and silent
dy and inside of an hour the former
caught feeting glimpse of the buck,
dashing for the thick underground 1t
was anything but a fair shot, but the
ball from the rife went straight to it's
mark and down came the deer dead
Martin was running forward to cut
The animals throat, when he heard
a growl a little off to his right and
turning saw a cub bear sitting on its
hind legs and showing it's teeth. Once
more the rifle spit out it's deadly mes
senger and the bear bit the dust be-
fore it had time to recover from its
surprise.
Lombard was running toward Mar
tin to see what all the uproar was
about, when she bear sprang out of
the bushes between the men and
dashed at the slayer of her offspring.
She was travelling so fast that there
was no time for parley and Martin cut
loose with his repeater again, this
time sending two balls at the animal's
thead. Both took effect SO far as he
was able to discover and down went
the bear as limp as "a rag.
What in thunder's up?" shouted
Lombard, as he broke through the
bushes.
"One deer and two bear" replied
Martin, with shade of triumph in his
voice.
@And ne skunked," replied the other.
~.Sorry but"
'.S-h-h-h," cautioned Bill, suddenly
raising his gun and taking aim into
a spruce. There's another one"
He fred and down came another
cub.
"Gaehosiphat! sain't that great?"
gasped Martin.
"Middlin encouragin'," admitted
Lombard.
''Well, well, l guess we don't take
back seat for anybody when we get to
the village"
"Not as long as we've got the old
bear" agreed Bill. Il should sort of
Ihate to lug in the two cubs without
their r1aw."
After making certain to their satis-
faction that the entire bruin family
had passed in it's check, they went aft
er the deer, skinned it and hung the
carcass on tree.
"Old bears idell be worth SIS,
easy" said Bill, as he set to work ON
,one cub, while Martin put the knife
To the other.
"And the carcass ought to be worth
half as much more" declared his COM
.panion."
81 don't suppose the cubs will bring
much" the other said.
Martin SHOOK his head.
They dragged the buck and the skins
Of the cubs to the nearest tote road,
and then, agreeing that they had done
q fair days work, sat down for lunch
before tackling the old bear
~ always did hate to skin groweu
ND bear observed Bill, when they got
down to pie.