The Republican journal., 1912-01-18


foot 1t ketched me. l had line of
traps SOL over round Baker pond and of
course they was all froze up and showed
better go over there and see to 'em. So
after doing up the ch, res round the barn,
| took my rifle and an ak and started
out"
Il was streaking it down across the
lot near where that sheep was killed,
when swan if l didn't come plum into
some fresh bear tracks. They was big
ones all right, and had been made that
night. didn't move nor glance at 'em
when let whoop you coulder heard a
mile and most jumped out 'er my boots,
l was that excited, for as sure as you
are born it was Old Four Finger-no ques-
ton about that, and why on arth he was
wandering about so late as this didn't
know, for it was a good month behind
his usual time. Howsom ever, it was
Four Finger, sure enough. knew that,
and, furthermore, gentlemen, l knew
that unless it rained or showed within 48
hours he was my bear, for l could track
him to kingdom come in that snow.
"You bet l didn't waste no time but
hustled back to the house as quick as
could, filled my pack with grub, strapped
a blanket on and started off on the trail
with my mind made up that | wouldn't
leave it till he had my hide or l had
his'n."
"Wal, l followed it all day. He kept
working to the north putty much and
didn't seem to have any trouble in keep
ing ahead. He knowed | was behind all
right and every now and then would
show his ugly temper by stripping a
small spruce or hemlock clean of bark
and branches as far up as he could reach.
"He led me a devil OF a tramp,
through swamps and over wind-falls,
through soft wood bottoms and over
hard wood ridges-didn't seem to have
any use for wood roads, and then darned
if he didn't go clean over the top Of
Pleasant mountain. He got some mighty
ugly slides going down on the back side,
but | was young and tough and didn't
mind much. wanted that bear and in
tended to get him, so didn't let up on
him for minute.
"When it came dark | was in cedar
swamp, as black as mud, but there was
lot of dry, dead stuff laying around
and picked up as much as | could, then
scraped out big hole down to hard pan
with my snowshoe and piled the snow up
around the edges, so down in there | was
out of the wind and with good fire was
snug and comfortable. l kept it going
all night and as soon as could see in the
morning l got me dipper of hot coffee
and some doughnuts and started out after
him again.
81 hadn't gone far when I came to
where he had spent the night, and by the
way things looked, l guess my coming
along had sent him going.
"Wall, followed him all that day, too,
| till about three o'clock in the afternoon.
and we was by then putty we'll over to
Moosehead, when l see quite piece
ahead, thick growth of pines-big
ones. Don't see such fine lot of timber
nowadays but it was more or less plenty
then. Up to now we had been travelling
mostly through open woods where the
sun had got in little and melted the
: snow, so it had packed down kinder hard
and was tolerable good footing, and the
tied into it much, so had gone along all
thick, dark pines, where the snow was
soft and light, he commenced going in
all under In a minute he knew he was
ketched, for man on snowshoes could
come up on him in that chance hand over
fist
"a bear will keep out of mans way
just as long as he possibly can. He is
naturally afraid of him, you see; but on
the other hand he's no coward, and you
once get him covered he'll fight all
right.
81 hadn't even got up to the pines
when | met him coming out | hadn't
only single shot rifle, didn't know
nothing about repeaters in them days, so
couldn't take no chances, and | just
stood still and let him come. He riz
right up on his hind feet and came at me
like man. | tell you he was savage
looking critter with the foam flying from
his mouth, his eyes as red as fire, his
jaws swapping, and the way he whined
and snarled as he flung his big fore paws
about was enough to scare the lights out
'er man. But stood there, howsome-
ever, till he was up to about so or 60
feet, then l gave it to him right in the
mouth. That cooked him all right, and
down he went, kicking and clawing. l
knowed he was dead, we'll enough, but
loaded up again just the same before l
went up to him, but didn't need to. His
checks was all in and tell you what,
boys, when see that old devil we had
all tried so long to get, laying there good
anu uedu, you DeI was Some tlckleu.
81 took his hide off. 1t was beauty.
got 500 for that; then l cut out good
thick slice of steak, went into the pines,
built up fire and had big feed. l
stayed there all night and in the morn
ing shouldered the skin, and tell you a
green bear pelt amt light, and with as
much meat as I could lug struck out
for home
ooh, yes, forgot to say, l cut off his
game foot and took that along, too, just
to show the boys that Old Four Finger
wouldn't trouble 'em no more"