Year: 1879

In @'so osoiS'l


[We make the following extrac,
from a hunting story entitled 1.-THE
Big Bear of Wannetola," printed in
St. Nicholas for May. The incident
tsok place in the back country In Ar
kansas, in the year 1860, and the hunt.
ers were Harvey Richardson and the
narrator. They were after big bear,
whose depredations had made him the
chief topic Of conversation; and they
started out with their dogs early one
November morning.l


just at day-break, we came to a
crossing Of the bayou where we felt
sure the bear must pass on the way to
his den. Harvey placed me, the dogs,
and himself. A fallen tree was in my
front, and through its interlaced roots
[ could see in every direction. Hard
ly had we completed our ambush when
quick movement of one of the dogs
startled me. But. in a moment, no.
ticing that his looks were directed to-
ward the crossing, L, too, looked thith.
er and heard the sound of heavy ami
NAL saunteripg slowly over the sodden
ground and approaching my lair. In
an instant a pair Of yellow eyes glared
at me, and with as wide look OF sur
prise as there was in mine. Recover
ing myself | fired at the monster,
which appeared like huge, animated
black cloud as he rose up before me.
The brute disappeared with the smoke
of my gun, but in a moment / was
startled by the report and shock of
second discharge. The other load
OF my gun had been accidentally ex-
ploded, Looking in the direction that
the bear had taken, l saw he had run
along the other side of the fallen tree
and met at the farther end the two
dogs, when he turned about and came
toward me at his most rapid speed and
in savage humor. Then there was a
fearful crash and rush. The black
mass came on, with eyes cleaning, and
bewiliering me with the reflection of
their glare in the sunlight.


was conscious that my gun was
useless, and so instinctively grasped
my pistol, but found it hopelessly en-
tangled in my belt. For a second, de-
spair came upon Inc, but a sudden re-
vulsiou aroused every sense and
prompted me to defense for life. Quick
iy drawing my knife, it was presented
at thrust as the dark masss sprang
at me.


At this moment, one of the huge
dogs leaped at him SO fercely as to di-
vert the monsters attention from my
self and make him miss his bite. lie
reared, and as lie again came down on
his fore feet and was in the act of CO.
ing over the bank, | plunged my knife
to the hilt into his body, in the region
of his heart He turned and made a
terrible snap at my legs, but at the
moment fell backward over bush,
and so we all went into the bayou TO-
gether, foundering in the water and
mud.


[ scrambled to the edge Of the
slough, and watched with intense anx.
iety the result OF the battle. In an
other moment, and when the bear had
nearly reached the farther side of the
pool, desperately fighting with the dogs
every inch of the way, heard rush
ing sound and the whirring flight OF
more of the pack as they sprang over
me. In the same instant a fash shot
out from the brown barrel Of Harvey's
rife. and tbe bear rolled over. though
he still ieebly fought the pack, aud
kep: on fighting to the isst moment Of
his existence. To my notification,
an examination Of the huge carcass
showed that ny shot had not made
snv Visi5ie mark on the animal. and
that my knife he'd not quite reached
his heart. Haryeys shot had killed