A BEAR AND SOME SCARED HUNTERS. 



C. G. SIIEPARD. 



Late on the evening of August 1st, Mr. 

 John Lenard was walking on the track, 

 between Maple Ridge and Lathrop. He 

 carried a dilapidated Winchester, that would 

 not shoot twice in the same place, and with 

 an action that usually balked at the first 

 empty shell. 



A slight noise attracting his attention, he 

 stopped, and to his amazement, saw the 

 head of a bear, in the brush, beside the 



Suddenly the man carrying the lantern, 

 fell, putting out the light. At the same in- 

 stant another of the party, stepped on a 

 hazel switch that sprung up and struck 

 Lenard in the face. We could not see how 

 high he jumped, but we heard him come 

 down. Such a rattling of gun-barrels, 

 clicking of locks, and chorus of yells, as 

 followed, was never before heard in that 

 neck of woods. 



PACKING HIM OUT. 



AMATEUR PHOTO BY C. G. SHEPHERD. 



track. Lenard had never met a bear before, 

 and he remembered the condition of his 

 gun, yet, mustering up his courage, took 

 careful aim at the animal's breast, and fired. 

 The bear sprang forward, and Lenard suc- 

 ceeded in pumping the old gun 3 times 

 more, before a shell stuck. 



The bear turned, and took to the woods, 

 and Lenard hastened on to his destination, 

 told his story, and then returned, in com- 

 pany with Jno. Stocklin, C. M. Shepherd 

 and I. 



It was after dark when we reached the 

 place, and we followed the trail by the light 

 of a lantern, through swamp, brush and 

 weeds. We could see but a few feet in any 

 direction, and were in constant expectation 

 of a charge by the wounded bear. 



I had no weapon with me but a revolver, 

 drawing which, I rushed to where the noise 

 was loudest, and my pistol coming in con- 

 tact with Lenard's bosom, brought another 

 yell from the prostrate hero. By this time, 

 the lantern had been relighted, and no bear 

 could be seen, though pale faces were 

 plenty. 



Moving more cautiously, we pushed on 

 through the thick brush, and came sud- 

 denly on the bear, lying in a pool of blood. 

 Some more high jumping took place, until 

 we discovered that the animal was dead. 



It weighed about 200 pounds, and was 

 possibly 2 years old, but no bear of its size 

 ever caused more excitement. The mem- 

 bers of our party are unanimous in the de- 

 cision to trail our next bear by day-light. 



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