Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-08-07
SOME BEAR SCRAP
THIS ENCOUNTER
IT'S A DRAW, BUT MAN AND DOG
FIGHT MOLLY
Mother Beast and Cubs Finally Bout
ed in Hottest ScriInaase of
4 the Year.


still remains as q right hunting
ground for great braves.
1t was recently thai the last bear
struggle happened and the incident is
one that is likely 20 become a tradl-
ton of the town. 1t all came about IN
this way.
For several weeks an orchard in the
Immediate vicinity OF the village has
been made the feasting ground for
bears. Il is well known that these
animals have great fondness for
apples and will take all kinds Of
chances to crafty their taste.
Now. Weld has two mighty Nimrods
and both men are old time and vet
eran bear hunters. These are Dennis
SWEET, the game warden of the town,
and Melville Childs, highly respect
able citizen OF the village Both have
several notches on their rifle stocks
of bears fallen before their unerrlng
aim, and 10th men know the habits of
these animals TO nicely.
One morning the two men met and
determined TO rid the neighborhood OF
its unweleome visitors. AS soon as
dinner was over they procured huge
bear trap and started for the orchard.
SWEET had an old 80 caliber revolver
and but two cartridges and this with
his AK constituted the entire offensive
outfit.
The sole object of the visit was to
plant the trap in the hope of catching
the bear, as they had no idea that one
would be encountered in the open.
Even the revolver was taken by force
Of habit, its use not being contem-
plated.
The short distance TO the orchard
was soon covered and then the men
began to look around for suitable
place to set the trap. On all sides the
trees presented torn appearance.
Limbs were broken down and the fruit
stripped and the place looked very
much as II one of those British
tanks" had been driven thru the
place.
Finally big tree was selected and
as SWEET came up he placed his hand
on the trunk and said-"Here we'll
dig the trap in and cover 1t with
leaves"
The words had scarcely left his
mouth before a huge bear arose on
the other side of the tree and leveled
terrific blow at his head. The ami
NAL weighed fully 800 pounds and by
her side were three cubs.
Both men knew the meaning of hat.
There is no animal in the Maine
woods so dangerous as a she bear
with cubs, For her young, she will
fight to death and this particular one
was especially anxious to begin the
duel.
With the first appearance Of the
bear, Chllds turned and ran while
calling upon his companion to follow
him or die. With the speed Of deer
he fled, while his hair stood straight
up in the air. Faster and faster he
ran and 1t is whispered in the village
that he slackened not his speed until
he reached Dixheld Notch.
SWEET seemed to be made of sterner
clay, and with his revolver within six
feet of the nose Of the bear, he fired
one OF his precious bullets full in the
face of the Infatuated animal bowling
her over backwards. Before he could
strike her with an az she was up, and
with her cubs ahead started for the
nearby woods All the time she was
making peculiar noise urging them
TO greater speed.
In the mean time a dog owned bv
SWEET came up and fearlessly grabbed
the bear from behind. II required but
0 single blow from the huge paw TO
send the dog Keeling backward, but il
Immediately came back at the attack.
Ihen ensued series of attacks and
counter attacks until finally the bear
reached tree and climbed up into the
limbs Seeing her cubs in danger be.
low jumped twelve feet to the
ground and again keeping the cubs
ahhd got into a deep thicket
10y this time the blood of SWEET was
up, and with az and revolver in hand
he Jumped into the bushes after her
and Fl rec tangle lesulted The dog
took q deep interest in the matter AS
man and beast struggled for The
mastery once more the bear took G
a tree but as quickly came down &c
renew the combat When within a
few feet of SWEET he again leveled his
revolver and fired the last hot again
knocking the bear over. once more
SWEET tried to get on top Of the strug.
Slihg animal but was again shaken of
by the inturlated beast. In the thlcl
and tangled bushes man and hens
roiled and tumbled, but try as hard a,
ne could II was impossible to get in
dow with the AK. rhe dog could rem
der but little assistance as a singh
dow from that paw would send hin
SPRAYING.
IT ended as drawn battle. TIL
bear and cubs finally gave up tn
struggle and plunged into the thicke
With the dog al its heels. Anothe
crack from that paw and he becam
discouraged and returned to his MAJ
tor leaving the bear monarch of a
she surveyed.