Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-08-30

best hounds had their backs broken
In the bears powerful jaws.
It was now nearly noon, and while
my spirit still desired to go. on. my
legs rebelled. So the captain of the
chase put me on what he assured me
was "a right likely stand" and told
me II / heard the dogs pass toward
the river l should follow. whether
saw the bear or, not. He would go
across to another stand and between
us eve orto come mighty clost toEthat
bear" he concluded. after outlining
the secret hopes of his plan OF cam.
paign. With some misgtvings lest l,
too. might be sidetracked like the un-
fortunate Mex, sat down on a log
to enjoy. think. the sweetest and
most welcome rest of my whole ex-
istence. The wait was only an hour.
Hearing the unmistakable crashing
through the brush and the voices OF
the hounds, climbed a great rock
no, not for safety, but to get good
look about could hear the bear, but
could not see him until he burst into
view less than 100 yards away. ! got
in one shot before he disappeared. the
dogs close at his heels. He seemed
to be going slower and making
straight for the rocky gorge. It was
not long before heard the report OF
Johns gun and the sounds OF another
fight, which soon died away. The
pace was too fast for me, and BY the
time reached the edge of the gorge
1t was all over. M
The bear had passed close to John,
and he let go a charge that must have
missed, for the mountain hunters do
not pretend to much skill in shooting
at moving objects. His presence en-:
couraged the dogs and they soon
closed in. The old bear was very
ugly by this time, and as John put II
he whipped the dogs clean outright
now and went on. But made 'en
go to It again." he related to me,
land follered 'em acrost that last hol'
Ter as fast as could. and found
where they had cornered him in .
rock den on the edge of the gorge.
seen blood on the trail. SO knowed
he's hit, and It's lucky he was. OF
he'd "a killed my best dog. But you
see his flaw was broke. SO he couldn't
bite. AZ soon as got up to the fight
climbed down where they was. and
got up within ten feet of the bear, and
had to give him three loads OF buck
shot atore was sure he was dead"
And there was the bear to prove It
An examination OF the broken jaw
showed that 1t was done by rifle.
terrible soft-nosed bullet. Aiming for
the shoulder had overestimated hia
speed and held little too far for
ward, or the bear would have stopped
right there.
Now the question was. how to gel
that bear to the settlement. We were
only two miles away now. al the bear
had run In big semi-cirole to get
into the gorge. But such miles al
these were! "The worst briar patch
in the country Is between here and
the ford" one of the boys pointed out
but that was the only way. Re1nov
ing the entrails to tighten the load
the paws were tied together and the
burden carried on stout pole. After
many resting spells and much reno
ing of already ragged garments and
bloody. singing flesh, we got the bear
to the ford, waded the river and sent
wagon to bring the trophy to the
little store at the settlement
Just before we came in sight Of the
houses we observed the mountain
custom Of announcing our success. by
firing on what ammunition we had
left,> as rapidly as possible. When 8
dozen hunters come in together this
lets everyone know what has hap
pened, and the whole population
turns out to welcome the nimrods.
What was left Of the bear weighed
251 pounds when brought in. and the
hide measured seven feet from nose
to tail. a very large bear for the Blue
Ridge. According to mountain bear
hunting law. piece of the meat was
given to every man and boy in the
race, while the proceeds of the sale
of the pelt were divided equally
among the four men who had dogs In
the chase. regardless of who SHOT the
bear.