Year: 1879

the 1lrSU time, perhaps, was one day
hunting upon the ridge between
Meadow Run and Cucumber Run,
which tumbles off the rocks just across
there.


[ had known for some time by the
signs that there was nest of cub
bears somewhere in the neighborhood,
so ON that day l concluded that l
would put in my time finding them, as
party up in Uniontown wanted pair
to send over to Baltimore, to friend
who was fond of outlandish pets.


You see that it was along about the
lst of September, and pretty warm at
that, and after walking up and down
the ravines 1 began to get pretty tired.
l was not so heavy then as | am now,
and did not weigh more than couple
of hundred pounds. As l said, was
little tired, and so on the top of the
ridge l sat down by the side of smooth
chestnut stump about twelve or four
teen feet high. l hadn't sat there
more than minute until | heard some
thing inside the stump, and soon made
out that it was couple of cub bears
playing with one another.


l looked on all sides of the stump to
find an opening, but none was to be
seen. Then l happened to notice the
marks of claws up the side of the
stump, and l understood it. The hole
went in at the top. | set my gun
against bush, up-ended the branch of
Il tree, and was soon at the top of the
stump, looking in at the two cubs,
which were about the size of full
grown rat-dogs.


1 was SO excited that l jumped down
into the stump nne grabbed the cubs.
They at first began to squeal and then
turned on me for fight. But they
were small enough to handle, and in
minute or two had their mouths tied
so they could not bite, and their feet
fastened so they could not scratch.


] knew that the old bear would be
along pretty soon and make it hot for
me ii she found me in the nest, so |
swung the youngsters in my buckskin
belt preparatory to getting out.


Get outl Did | get outl Land of
love! 1t makes me shiver to think of
it yet l could no more get out of that
stump than l could fly. The hollow
was bell-shaped-larger at the bottom
than at the top-so large, in fact, that
l could not put my back against one
side and my feet and hands against the
other and crawl up, as rabbits and
other animals climb up inside of hol-
low trees.


In no way could l get up a foot.
There were no sticks inside to help me
up, and made up my mind l had to
die certain. About the time | came
to this conclusion heard the old bear
climbing up the outside of the stump.
With only my hunting knife as a
means of defense, and in such close
quarters, you may possibly imagine the
state of my feelings.


The old bear was not more than half
a minute, at the outside, climbing up
the stump, but it seemed like month,
at least. 1 thought of all my sins
dozen times, at least At last she
reached the top, but she didn't seem to
suspect my presence at all, as she de-
liberately turned round and began
slowly descending, tail foremost.


felt as though my last hour had
come, and began seriously to think
about lying down and let the bear kill
me, so as to get out of my misery as
quickly as possible. Suddenly an idea
struck me, and despair gave away to
hope. l drew out my hunting knife
and stood on tip-toe. When the bear
was about seven feet from the bottom
of the hollow | fastened on her tail
with my left hand with wise like grip,
and with my right drove my hunting
knife to the hilt into her haunch, and
at the same time yelling like tribe of
Indians


"What did she dor chorused the
whole crowd, who had been holding
their breath.


What did she dol Well, you should
have seen the performance. She didn't
stop to reflect moment, but shot out
at the top Of the stump like bullet
out Of gun. A hairs breadth to the