Year: 1879

A correspondent at Stroud>burg, in Penn
sylvania. relates the following:


A lumbcrman named Daggers, in the en-
ploy OF firm at Tobyhanna, in the upper
part OF this (Monroe) county, had thrilling
adventure in the woods four or five miles
from that village on Thursday last with
bear that he had wounded, and that he
escaped alive is considered something MI
raculous even among the old hunters OF
that wild region. Bears are still pleaty IN
the woods OF the Pocono mountains. the
scene OF Daggcrs's adventure. On Wed.
neSday lnmbermen returning from the
woods saw large one near swamp at the
foot OF Burnt Chestnut Ridge. Daggers,
being a successful hunter, started out in
search OF it on Thursday. His dog took the
track about noon, aud chased the bear out
OF the swamp and up the ridge. 1t took TO
i deep crevice in the rocks, from which
DaygerS sought to eject it by resorting to
the usual mode of smoking the den by
building fire at the entrance. Another
opening that led to the retreat chosen by
| the bear was not seen by the hunter, ana
when the smoke filed the cave it left by that
opening, and was not discovered by Dag
gers until it was some distance up the
ridge. He fired at it and hit it. but the





retrcating animal. The dog followed it
closely, and forced it TO climb large tree
on the TOP OF the hill. 1t crouchcd in the
crotch OF two large limbs thirty or forty
| feet from the ground. Daggcrs fired at it,
| and the effect Of the shot was to cause the
| bear to loosen his hold on the tree and come
tumDling heavily 10 the ground, but not to
| inflict fatal wound.


| This placed the hunter in great pc. il, for
! the bear was furious from its wound, and
attacked DaggerS ut once, giving him no op-
portunty to reload his gun. The dog
sprang iearlcss!y at the bear, but was caught
in the powerful forepaw> OF the latter and


crushed to death in an instant, without re-
tarding in the least the advance OF the bear


on the hunter. 1t rushed ut Daggers with


distended Jaws. He struck it with all his


strength over the head with the butt OF his


gun, which was shivered to pieces, and
apparently had no effect on the bear.


Daggcrs kept the barrel OF the gun in


his hand and drew his hunting. knife. As


the bear rushed upon him he showed the


n-barrel in its mouth and plunged his
knife into its yitaIs. This fortunate
stab was what saved the hunters


life, for in the terrible struggle that
epsued he was unable to intlct any
other wound on the animal. The


bear wrenched the gun-barrel from Dag


gcrs's hand, and with blow OF his fore
paw knocked the hunter TO the ground. In


the fall Daggcrs dropped his kniic. The


blow stunned him for an instant, and his
face was much acerated by the claws of the
bear. he arose barely in time to escape the
clutch Of the bear, and could not recover


his knife. He saw that the bear was bleed
ing so fast from the knife-Wound that its
shaggy hide was red from its breast TO its
feet. Daggers backed away from the bear,
with the Intention OF lodging behind tree
and then escaping to a safe distance, know
ing that bruin would succumb to bis
wounds in comparatively short time.
In retreating, however. his heel came In
contact with something that tripped him
I'D, and he fell on his back among the
scrub-oaks. The bear jumped upon BIN be-
fore he could get up, and sank us ciaWs
into both his shoulders. The fall hurt the
hunter, and the weight Of the bear almost


crushed the breath from his body. Dag


gers saws he thought his time bad come,
and in desperation he thrust out with a


small stick he had broken off by catching
hold OF 4 scrub-oak as lie fell. The stick


entered the bears left eye and put it out,


causing the animal to Jump upon his
Launches with q howl OF rage and pain.
Dao"crs sprang to his feet, but before he
could take step the bear grasped him by
the shoulders. 4 desperate struggle en-
sued, the bear endcaVoring to get the


hunter in its hug, and Daggers putting
forth every effort TO prevent it. Finally,
bv the tearing loose of his clothing under
the sharp claws Of the bear, he escaped
once more. The flesh on his shoulders was
badly torn, and Daggers grew faint from
the pain. The bear followed him up so
closely that they were again in hand-to-hand
contest.


The bear was visbly growing weaker,
and the hunters strength was also gradu-
ally leaving him. He tried to run but could
not, and tue result now depended on Whe-
ther the hunter or the bear gave out first.
For several minutes they struggled together
among the scrub-oaks until Daggers felt
! that he could hold out no longer, although
the bear staggered and fell and rose With
difficulty. The hunter took two or three
quick steps to one side and fell to the
ground unconscious. He does not know
how long he lay insensible, but when he
| revived he tried TO get up and could not.
He dragged himself to the foot Of hem
lock-tree and rested bis back against
the trunk. Almost within his reach the
great bear lay dead. But few minutes
after Daggcrs regained consciousness he
heard the voices Of some men who were
RAISING along the brow OF the ridge He
shouted to them. They proved to be wood
choppers from the Tobyhanna Mills. hey
rendered him all the aid in their power.
He was suffering more from exhaustion
than any injury be had received. In an
bour he was able to start home. The wood
choppers carried the carcass OF the bear in,
hanging on pole between them. 1t was
the largest bear that bad been killed in the
Pocono region for years.