The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-08-03
The Big Bear
Of the Tet0ns.

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The sun was just turning to Grim
highest of the Three Tetons as David
Hanlon slammed into the log cabin,
bringing in a fresh Whit of the crisp
autumn air. His sisted Marta was
bending over the stove, frying trout.
Fork in hand, she turned in surprise.
''The Big Bear" cried David. He's
been in the sheep corral again. He
tore down that low place in the will
low fence where he always goes over,
and he Just slaughtered the sheep"
'TDeari dear!" walled his sister.
'He has killed so many before! What
ever shall we do?"
'FKilI him!" retorted her brother,
grimly.
"He must be a grizzly ventured
Marta, obviously.
That's about what he is assented
David. Our Teton grizzlies are not
as large as some silvertips but there
are none so cunning and wicked and
powerful. Most silvertips make tnSlr
lair in some dark canon, and scuttle
when they see a man, but these fell
lows range far and wide, just hunting
for trouble"
The Big Bear had done enough mis-
chief up and down the Teton Basin to
warrant his bad reputation. Every
rancher for miles hated and feared
him. He was an ugly, surly fellow,
although not so large as California
grizzly.
81 mean to catch the Big Bear"
boosted David. I'll sell his wicked
old hide for twenty-five dollars, Marta,
and you can buy some trinkets." He
laughed, although he felt angry
enough over his losses occasioned by
the bears depredations.
you must be careful" cautioned
mis- sister. She knew David had killed
so many bears during their five years
in the Teton Basin that he felt only
contempt for the big clumsy fellows.
He made no ado about killing a
bear. A good gun, steady nerves, and
bullet well placed-that was all that
was required. OF course, he would
add, you must look sharp when you
meet bear with cubs, or wound or
corner grizzly. And one would
hardly shoot a bear on ledge above,
as it might roll down upon one. In
brief, as David Would summarize it,
man who hunts anything needs
just gumptioni
While David and Marta ate break
fast David enlarged upon his plans
for putting an end to the bear.
His sheep corral lay a little way
back from the cabin. 1t was en-
closed by a high, tight fence of woven
willows. At the rear of the corral
the fence was set squarely across an
old path leading back and up into
the pines which feathered the base
of talon-like spar of the mountains.
On every trip to David's corral the
bear had come down this path and
climbed over into the corral, partial
ly knocking down the fence. When
he had slain to his bloody satisfac-
ton, he had climbed out at the same
place and returned to the upper noun
tain Businesses.
II mean to watch every night, :"
said David, just inside the fence,
close to the broken place, and as
the old fellow comes down the path
and over the fence, I'll shoot him."
This campaign seemed to David and
his sister certain of success. Night
after night David watched, ready for
the fatal shot the moment the bear
should life his head above the fence.
During the day David slept and
rested, and so, fresh and enthusiastic
every evening, he resume= his watch
for the marauder.
''I think he'll come tonight" David
said on the fourth evening, as he
took down his favorite rifle from the
small arsenal on the cabin wall. Da-
vid Hanlon's fad" was guns. He
possessed seven of the best and lat
est patterns. Nor was his fad an
extravaganza, for the guns were his
stock in trade. His hunting brought
him many a dollar fer game, and
heads and pelts for Eastern taxiderm-
lists.
A few years ago there was an album
dance of bear. moose. elk and deer