Year: 1879

And now will tell you about Texas Bills last bear-hunt. One evening last fall we were sitting out on the piazza about nine o'clock, when neighbor Ford rode up and wanted me to go over to Rock creek, about three miles, and help kill bear. He said his wife's mother and boy about twelve years old had been down on the creek that day look ing for some bees, and they saw bear run into the rocks. So saddled up, took my dogs, and with Charley and Ford started for the bear. When we got nearly to the creek we found anoth- CT man by the name of Russian waiting for us. When we got to the creek we went down about half mile and hitched our horses and began to climb up the bank among the rocks and trees, and after fifteen minutes hard labor we got to where the woman and boy saw the bear go in. It was a wild looking place in a small ravine, with rocks on both sides piled up one above the other, and big powders scattered all about. The place where the bear went in was large enough for man to get in easy, and about thirty feet back of where he went in was large hole that went down, and not the one that went straight in. All the time while we were build ing fire we could hear noise in the hole like hoarse sissing or grunting, and thought perhaps MT. Bear did not like his company. After we got fire we could not look into the hole but little way, and F. went about @ mile and got lamp about as good as light ming bug. Russian proposed to stay all night and have daylight to work in, but did not want to stay till found out what I was staying for. While we were talking F. took the lamp aud went to the upper hole and got down to look in.

 Ha !" says he, 'sI can see him."

 "Well," said I, "what is it2' 'sIt is bear Come and take the lamp and see for yourself"

 took the lamp and got down and peeked in, and there he was. But I could not see very plain, so crawled in little further. Charley wanted me to come back for fear he would make a dive at me, but ventured carefully in a lit tie more and then could see his head and shoulders a little plainer, but I could not make ont what the deuce it was. It's head seemed to be white and snout black, and what could see of his shoulders were black. Finally F. says ::

 "What do you make it ?' "Well, I think it is a-hog, and if you win hand me gun I will try to put his eye out"

 They got my gun, and ventured in a little more to get a good chance to shoot, but got little too near, and it moved and hissed and grunted fearfully; but when it moved could see 1t plain and tell what it was, and what do you think I saw? A couple of young buzzards They stood side by side, their necks and wings white, their backs, tails, heads and bills black, and in the dim light and the position they were in, looked like the head of some large animal.

 R. says, "Why don't you shoot ?" I said nothing but crawled out, and F. says, "What are you going to do now ?"

 "Well, think the best thing we can | do is to go home"

 R. says, sWhy the deuce don't you tell us what it is down there in the rocks ?''

 I bothered them for few minutes and then told them it was buzzards, and don't believe you ever heard such a shout from few mouths as went up through the trees from around that "b bear hole. We blew out our lamp, got into saddles, and went home, cer- tainly wiser if not as happy as when we went out; and that is the last hunt ave had after bears. = Forest and | .VY..engga