Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1883 — Baby Bears That Scratched. [ARTICLE]

Baby Bears That Scratched.

A. J. Wyland, of Clackamas county, Ontario, writes as follows: A short time since, while hunting in the woods, I came across a she bear standing erect on a log. She looked ’savage and had her ears laid back on her neck. I put a bullet in her skull, an inch above one eye, and she rolled off like a bundle of chips. As the gun cracked up a young cedar climbed a couple of young cubs. I concluded that I wanted ’em for pets. As the climbing was easy, I was soon able to reach them. I grabbed one by the back of the neck, when he let go all holds and went to work at scratching with a vengeance. The blood flew, and you bet I gave him a welt that knocked him as limber as a moprag. I then stuffed him inside the bosom of my shirt, as he was senseless, and grabbed the other by the head, and he set up a yell that could be heard for a mile. I quickly knocked him senseless, too, and put him on my shoulder and commenced to descend. Just at this point the one inside my shirt crawled around on to my back and dug Lis hind claws into iny back, just above the belt, and put his arms around my body, when both commenced to fight me. You bet I got to the ground in a hurry, threw the one on my shoulder to the ground, put my foot on his neck, choked him senseless until I could tie him, the other one all the time trying to tear all the meat off my back. 1 grabbed him by the fore foot and pulled him, but he held on with his hind feet. I then pulled him by the hind legs, bftt he held on with his front claws, and I couldn’t pull him off either way. I then opened my collar wide and laid down alongside the one that was tied. Presently he came out and made for a large tree near, but I caught and securely tied him, too. His long, silky hair felt nice to my pelt, but his claws were about the size of a raccoon, but, could outscratch seven wildcats. It was about two miles from home, and after a while I got tired of carrying them, so I put them down and untied them, and they followed me like two little dogs.— Oregon City Enterprise.