16 THE BLACK BEAR OF PENNSYLVANIA 



carelessly approaches his fallen victim before life has 

 ceased. 



To the hunter, an angry 'bear is a formidable antag- 

 onist ; and 'although there have been instances where 

 a man has conquered a bear in fair hand-to-hand con- 

 flict, there are few animals which a hunter would not 

 rather oppose, deprived of fire-arms, with only knife 

 or hatchet, than the black bear. On a few occasions 

 a foolhardy person has ventured to attack and kill 

 a bear in single combat, without firearms, using a 

 club, axe or canthook, but the successful ending of 

 such issues did not establish a new and popular variety 

 of sport, nor did these experienced men thereafter 

 encourage their friends to attack the bear, unless pro- 

 vided with a gun a reliable rifle. 



The great bear slayer of Potter County, Leroy 

 Lyman, born 1821, died in 1886, told our High School 

 boys of his experience, advising them to be very dis- 

 crete in all dealings with the bear. 



Mr. Lyman was a large, active man, 74 inches tall, 

 with strong, capable hands and limbs. He caught a 

 medium sized bear in a steel trap and decided to kill 

 it with a heavy club; so setting his gun against a 

 tree, he cut a club 6 ft. long, and rapped bruin on the 

 head. Then action became furious. The bear jerked 

 its foot out of the trap and chased Mr. Lyman round 

 .and round a big hemlock tree, until both became tired. 

 After a dozen blows with the handspike the bear was 

 finally stunned and quickly killed. Mr. Lyman went 

 home, chuckling, "Never again; no, never again!" 



