The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-26

I was stalking along through a clump
OF cottonwoods and blackberry vines
close to the river bank. thought
some time before that 1 had noticed
bear tracks, but was not quite posi-
tive. 1 went very quietly, and suddenly
came to bit of clearing. To my
amusement, just opposite me. about 80
feet away, stood this bear We saw
each other at about the same moment
brought my gun to my shoulder.
Bruin rose up on his hind legs, lifted
his head into the air and snorted a
defiant challenge at me. His paws
struck out savagely. He was declaring
himself. 1 could not shoot as brave a
bear as that one. The spirit of Daniel
Boone, of Davy Crockett and their iIk
came over me. 1 cast my gun aside
into the bushes and took off my coat
The bear seemed to realize that 1 was
going to fight fair. He trumpeted a
savage note of approval. / barred my
arms and then grabbed my trusty hunt
ing kntfe-a big bowie-and dashed
toward the animal He lunged at me
viclously. l tried a short upper cut,
but fell short. He tried to close in,
but I SideStepped, tented and lust as
he essayed to scrape my head whipped
beaut1ful right uppercut at him and
cut his belly wide open, disemboweling
him. He fell-and mighty was that fall.
And this is his skim
IT was in the crowd, and with me
was Charley Voorhees,. now custodian of
the state house. Charley looked rather
dubious, and I'm frank to confess that
l was a doubling Thomas. sure enough.
Charley and I sat down on the post
off1ce steps to talk the thing over
Neither one of us could believe that
there were such big bears on the CHM
AKRON, and we couldn't quite believe
selves committee of two to go out and
Investigate.
Gene exhibited the skin to his
friends for several days, but neither
hi -
to it to make anything like the exami-
nation that We desired to make. Fin
ally Denton said he would pack it up
and ship it to a taxidermist, and sent
Then we got a good chance to make a
close examination.
Strikes me rather strange said
voorhees, as he looked closely, that all
the fur is worn off around the neck
Il looked, TOO, and we decided right
then and there that there had probably
been a collar around that animals
neck I began shifting and twitching
What's the natter Voorhees, asked
of me.
Don't you smell macaroni?' I ask
ec of Charley.
BY gum, do. he answered.
I'VE had another consultation then
and decided to make some more in
quiries We went out to Denton's house
and began looking around. Back of his
house was a big clump of bushes and
high weeds, and after little while we
found a broken grind organ-in fact,
it had been smashed all to smitherecns
with an axe.
Then we hitched up and drove to
Kiowa where we knew Gene had spent
the night before. The people of the
town seemed very much excited. Run
ming across the city marshal. I asked
him what was up.
Why, Tom he replied, "a dago has
IL, n a nc Io-
with a grind organ and bear. Last
night he disappeared. couple oe
hours ago we found the dago out here |
on the road, dead drunk
Never seen a drunk dago before?' |
L asked. Cant see any reason to get
excited about that
81 We're not excited because he is |
drunk said the marshal, but because |
he had roll of bills in his pocket big |
enough to choke a whale-$350 in all |
Wonder where he got it2'"