The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-10-29

ened out on his own doorstep with a
bullet through his brain.
Twice in my chase of Bruin l have
made use of bear-Spear as my weap-
on of attack: and some newspaper
writer's in their search after copy have
rioted furiously over my methods, l
may take this opportunity to main
tain that the use OF the spear entails
no greater cruelty than any other
mode of attack, and that every hunt.
err should be armed with one in re-
serve, since these powerful beasts
have vitality that triumphs over
stray bullet or more, unless lodged
in vital region; and when wounded,
their retaliation is redoubtable and
easily fatal.
In karelen the bear is yet regarded
as a noxious horror. The great black
haired "Slagbjorn." or killing bear
is still rampant there. and a couple
of winters back l was able to wreak
justifiable vengeance on some beasts
that had killed over score of cows
and nine horses. News had been
brought me that some of these rascals
WSlS AIDCl halAAS vi d
bound island. We found no difficulty
in locating their lair. and l took up
my post at the entrance to 1t, armed
only with my spear. | may explain
that bear-spear consists of an ash
staff some two yards long and about
couple of inches in diameter; there
is blade of steel about ~ inches in
length, and the shaft is copper cased
as prevention against the teeth of
Bruin. AS soon as my gentleman APP
peared l tried to stick him in the
throat, but he parted adroitly and l
missed; | made another lunge and
succeeded in driving my spear point
through his breast He started roar
ing furiously and snapped at my cop
per cased staff, then made an attempt
to strike at my arm with his huge
forepaw, so that l might drop my
weapon. There was a thrilling uncer-
tainty as to the outcome; the power
full brute hung on to my spear at the
one end, while as grimly held on at
the other end. His bites went through
the copper plate and he started shred
ding the wood beneath. Strenuously l
checked his further advances, and
gradually, for his wounds began to
tell, his resistance weakened, and he
dropped at last over the aperture of
his den. ! pulled out the spear. but so
much strength still remained in him
that he seized the blade and bit it
with force that left deep indenta-
lions in the steel. Herr Broberg then
finished him off with his own weapon.
This struggle from start to finish
covered five minutes.
l certainly have had, as have all
other big game hunters, one or two
narrow escapes, but so far my luck
has carried me through and Bruin has
never got the best of it, I once found
myself in tight quarters with an over
grown specimen of the Slagbjorn va.
riety. He had chosen for his sleeping
place the center of an open tract
where, while the giant forest trees
had long since been burned down.
dense bushes had grown in their place
and these. snowladen and frost-stiff.
ened, obdurately impeded my way II
was no easy task to advance noiseless.
ly here. where every twig was E. snare
to entangle my long ski. l stumbled
fell and lay laundering in the deer
snow. Simultaneously my bear
doomed forth on the near horizon
He might Gonsdered-haye select
ed more auspicous moment for his
manifestation. Prone as was, for ski
are Internal machines when speedy
extrication is desirable, took careful
aim and fired; my shot went home
and certainly my good genius direct
ed 1t, for had l missed or merely
wounded. my position would have
been almost unenviable. When we
came to skin my capture, we found
an old bullet embedded under the
right shoulder-blade, which shows the
wonderful vitality of these animals.