Year: 1872

en- or twenty buffalo. Well, we separated
and got to work, taking the stand which
the Colonel had assigned to me, to await his
movements and those of the dogs, who we're
to drive up the game while he made circuit.
Whittier he went or what he did, I have no
knowledge. Ionly remember that for nearly
two hours waited patiently, listening to ev.
cry sound, trembling with expectation, and
brave down to the pulp of my index finger,
that rested on the trigger of my trusty rifle.
In fact, had begun to grow dreamy, and my
thoughts were wandering among the scenes OF
home.life far eastward. Suddenly, there was
long halloo-a shot, and then another. The
dogs were baying, and evidently in full pur-
suit of game. What it was, whether of deer
or bear, of course, had no means of knowing;
but instinctively felt that it was coming
toward the little branch whereon l had been
stationed. 1t was a question of less than five
minutes, but in that interval [ enjoyed the
keen zest of a sportsman's expectation. l:had
it settled in my mind where was to send my
rihe-ball, where I would bleed my trophy
when down, and what would do in various
triumphant contingencies that were pictured
in my mind But, alas the schemes OF men
"aft gang agley." Bruin-for it was full
sized beast of that nomenclature his
appearance with rush, tearing through the
cane-brake, a hound hanging to one ear, and
the pack close on his heels. Iraised my rifle
and fired, and have long been satisfied that
the bullet sped at least fifteen feet above its
mark. At any rate, it didn't hit him, while
the sound of the discharge served to draw his
attention to new and unexpected adversary,
and that was your humble servant. Despite
the fact that he carried the weight of dog
and bullet from the gun of Gen. Hampton,
he turned his blood-red eyes on me, and with
an ugly expression around his mouth, which |
regarded at the time as physiognomcally dan
gerous, made directly for the position l occu-
pied. At the same instant, brace OF hounds,
God bless EN- dashing through the cane with
glad yelp and bound, seized the bear, one
by the launches and another by the flank.
The depression saved me. I had no other re-
source than to take to tree or the bush. l
never was good at climbing, and chose the
latter, plunging pell-mell into the cane, with
an impetus like unto that Of demoralized
locomotive Fortunately, struck a path
one of those narrow openings which are some
times worn on the Mississippi bottoms by ami
mails making their way to water. But, horror
of horrors had not proceeded fifty yards
before heard close behind the sound OF the
pursuing bear. Frantic with the pain of the
chawing bites every instant penetrating his
flesh, and unable to shake off the faithful
dogs, Bruin had doubtless taken one Of his old
routes, and instinctively hoped to brush or
shake his tormentors off in the thick under
growth. On he ca1le-closer and closer-.he
brittle reeds cracking under his feet; the
hounds giving their short, sharp, ugly yelps,
and I dashing forward as best l could through
the almost inpenetrable mass. It seemed as
if could feel the hot breath of the brute upon
my back, and I realized, as only man in
such an emergency can do, that if once ne
laid his claws upon me, [ was dead man.
My knife was already drawn. Life seemed to
hang but by thread, and was prepared to
do battle over that thin tie while there was
muscle left to put forth its strength.


Yet stay! Suddenly-in less time than |
can describe it-there was crashing Of reeds
in front of me, In an instant more, General
Hampton, hot and flushed with pursuit, his
clothes torn, and his fine face lighted up with
that keen, bold expression which 1 can fancy
illuminated it on many another occasion in
the hour of danger afterwards, stood face to
face with me. It was but second. He took
in the situation at a glance. Like myself, he
could almost feel the presence Of the bear
now twenty steps behind. Selling me by the
breast, he pushed me back into the wilderness
of cares perhaps three or four feet-at any
rate, out of the narrow path-and exclaimed,
as 1 fell backward, "Stay there, as you value
your life. Don't move an inch| AT the
same moment, darting forward, he dropped
on his knee, and cooking his rifle, waited. I
can't describe the interval, it was so short;
but it seemed as if before I could gasp, the
bear was on him. He fired, coolly and stead
ily, as if he were shooting at ducks. The
bear gave groan, but the pace was unslacked.
He dashed on, up to the very muzzle OF the
remaining gun barrel. The General was in
the act Of pulling the trigger when cane
slipping from under his feet, flew upward,
like a spring, and striking the weapon, the
gun was discharged high in the air. In the
twinkling of an eye the General was on the
ground, struck down by the fore paw OF the
enraged brute, but knife in hand, and as cool
, as if promenading his own piazza. 1 sprang
forward to his assistance, but he shouted to
me to stand back. He was lying almost at
full length with the bear, while the latter Was
being torn and distracted by the dogs, now in
full force, and doubly frantic, seeing their
master in his power. 1t was but the work Of
moment, but shouldn't forget the scene in
O. month of centuries. The Generals right
arm and knife were under the animal, but
with motion quick as flash, he threw the
other arm over the body, and clutching the
knife, drove it deep into the heart Of the brute.
There was spasmodic stroke Of the paw in
the direction of the stroke of the blade, for a
bear always strikes out in the direction from
whence it experiences pain-a fact, by the
way, which saved the face and body of the
General-and after short convulsive spasm,
the monster lay dead And that is all. The
dogs, with their jaws all bloody, were called
off, save one, who lay in the brake painting in
its death agony from wounds it had received


The General recovered his feet without
scratch gathered his gun, wiped the bloody
knife in the dark fur sheathed it in an every
day sort of fashion the negroes came up, and
after extravagantly pouring forth their con-
gratulations with true Ethiopian enthusiasm,
secured the carcass, and the whole party re.
united around the camp fire at night fall, we'll
satisfied with the adventures Of the day.


We killed another bear the next morning,
shot four or five deer, and two of the negroes
got fox. AS for your humble servant, he
was satiated with this kind Of sport. AS
faithful chronicler, I am bound to say that l
was scared all the way through, from my os
fronts to astralagus, and since that time have
respectfully declined all invitations to meet
bear on his native heather In less than sixty