The Washington times., 1907-10-13
Predict the Party Can't
Tote" Game Back
to Camp.
Declare LilleyEoves Bear
Hunting Better Than
Wives.
Plans Hunt May Change
if LouiSianianS Blood
BoiIS.

STEAMBOAT. La, Oct. 12-'Tf the
President hunts with Ben Ihlley he'll get
more bear than he can tote back &c
Washington observed Jim" Pittman
TO the mule dentist
Bet nc will" agreed the man who
files and extracts mules mOlars. "He'h
killed more bear than all the other gen
tieInen in Louisiana and certainly knows
his business
No Sunday Hunter.
II guess Lilley has killed 800 Or 600
bear here and In West Carroll Parish. q"
continued Pittman. and everyone that
knows him respects him. He's a mighty
fine gentleman, and, what's more, he Is
a Christian. Manys the time he has
stopped at the foot of big tree with the
bear In plain sight above his head until
the Sabbath day was over. Yes, sir,
he's a fine gentleman, is Ben Lilley."
But didn't his wife get a divorce from
him. Jim?' asked the mule dentist
Yes, that's true" admitted Pittman.
Not only one wife, but two Of EN- But
It wasn't because he wasn't O good hus-
band. You couldn't find a kinder, bet
ter man about the house than Ben Lii
ley. But he viii hunt, no matter what
happens. He'd start out on a hunt, ex~
pecting to be back in day or two, and,
instead Of staying until day after to-
morrow, he'd he away from home for
two or three months, his wife not know
ing whether he was alive or dead. You
couldn't blame any woman from getting
separated from a man like that. Did
you hear how he came TO lose his sec
ond wife?'
Don't just remember about IT." re-
piled the dental expert to mules.
Why, IT was all on account OF his
fondness for bear hunting, II course"
Pitmman went on. Ben started out on
one OF his bear chases one day. and
struck TIE trail of whopping big fel-
low late in the afternoon. He fol-
lowed the bear until plumb dark. and.
just as the Hight OF day was about gone.
chased the old fellow up a hollow tree.
Ben was all alone with his dogs. and
didn't have the facilities for chopping
down the tree and smoking the bear
out OF the hollow log, as he might have
had II there had been a party. He
didn't know just what to do. but after
a while he decided the best thing he
could do was to sleep at the foot OF
the tree. So he takes or his coat.
wraps t around his gun for a head rest
and pre- -res 70 make a night OF It.
Stops Hollow With Feet.
How to prevent the bear from coming
down through the hollow OF the tree
and getting away during the night at
first puzzled Ben some, but he soon hit
upon plan to prevent that. What do
you suppose he does? Why, ne Just puts
both his feet into the hollow OF that
tree, lays down on his back with his
gun and coat for a pillow. and goes
TO sleep 1t isn't every man that would
have the nerve to do that is It? Well.
along about midnight. after everything
was still, Mr.. Bear climbs down on the
inside OF that tree and lands on Ben's
fe1s. Ben kicks like the mischief. wakes
up with howl. and Mr.. Bear scoots
back up inside the tree"
Did Mrs. Lilley No. 2 Kick about
that?' asked the mule dentist.
yes, she did, and good and hard.
she said she could stand most anything
but she thought that when Ben LflIey
took TO sleeping with bears 1t was time
to dissolve partnership.
i asked Ben one day II he had ever
missed a bear. II 1 have the bear didn't
know it long, he replied, meaning. you
know. that he sure SHOT him before he
got very far. I've known Ben to put
four bullets from a repeating Win
chester into deer as it jumped across a
road in the canebrake. He can pull a
trigger quicker than any man I ever
saw.