Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 November 1895 — THANKSGIVING BEAR. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THANKSGIVING BEAR.

AN ADVENTURE THAT ENDED WITH HIS DEATH. Thrilling; Fire Hnnt on the Little Red by Two Boys in Search of a Thanksgiving: Feast—Sennits Were l'aneer* ons but Satisfactory. Bagged Big Game

EAR the Little Red, a swift stream that flowea through a region but little opened as yet and still inhabited i by the animals of ; the West, were situated the homes of the Duncans and Taylors. Bear roamed at will through the dense cane-brakes, and not infrequently

made reprisals on the scattered settlors. Wolves, too. abounded in the region, and in winter their long, dismal howling made the cold nights hideous. The Duncan and Taylor boys—Roy and I’hil -had been companions from childhood, and .when their parents settled in the new country they were in their element, as now they could roam the woods or paddle down the Little Red, every now and then picking up a bear or turkey with their trusty rifles. It was not long before they became known as the best young Ximrods iu the whole district, and whenever they started on a hunt it was taken for granted that they would return with plenty of game. One evening in November they started for a fire aunt on the river for the purpose of. as Phil expressed it. "bagging a Thanksgiving bear." “We can float past the big brakes near the bend,” said he, as he laid his proposition before Roy. Tom Hunter, who came through there the other day, saw lots of fresh signs, and we may be able to get a big one for to-morrow’s feast.” Taken with the prospect of some exciting adventure. Roy at once acquiesced. and the two boys began to prepare for the fire hunt. The canoe was dragged forth, and the pine knots for the torch gathered and made ready.

Taking the paddle, Roy, with a sharp lookout along shore, drove the light hark into the middle of the river, while Phil under the torch watched the tall canes that lined the edge and tried to catch the first sight of game. All at once the paddles in Roy’s supple hands scented to rest, and he glanced at his companion. Phil at the same moment had seen what had caught Roy’s eye.. On the right, where the tall canes seemed to seek the solitude of the stars, gleamed a pair of intense eyes,-very close together, and near the ground. "It is old Ephraim.” whispered Phil as he moved liis rifie and leaned forward for a better look. "We have found our Thanksgiving bear at lest!” Slowly, with a cool hunter's deliberation, Phil lifted his rifle to his shoulder, and while he watched the shining eyes, Roy soemeij to hold his breath. The crack of the weapon awoke the echoes along shore, mid as the smoke lifted both hoys leaned forward with eagerness and looked toward the shore. “You missed him!” cried Roy. “No. Look yonder! The old fellow has tumbled into the water and is in the death struggle. Quick! row toward him before the eddy sucks nim in.” “Lost!” exclaimed Roy, disappointedly. Before Phil could reply something dark and wet rose almost underneath the frail canoe, and the next moment he saw the taffrail in the grip of the bear. The great paws, looking doubly formidable in the unsteady light of the torch, while the weight of the bear, threatened to overturn the boat, and the ugly head, with the wide mouth bleeding from the boy's shot, was enough to send chills of terror to the Nimrod's hearts. “Back off!” cried Phil, as he saw that the canoe was almost among the rocks, and liable to be capsized by their foe. Roy sprang anew to the paddles, and. as Phil rose in the boat to thrust the rifle into the bear’s face and terminate the contest, the animal made a desperate effort to climb aboard. The situation was now full of peril, and the rocking of the boat in the swift waters caused the torch to scatter a rain of fire over the devoted boys and the bear, hut the boast only blinked his little eyes and redoubled his efforts to scale the fragile rampart. Finding that he could not get a shot at the bear as Roy backed the hoal off, Phil struck with all his might with the gun, bringing the heavy stock down upon the huge head. He shattered the weapon by the blow, while he apparently loft the skull of his antagonist uninjured. In another moment the bear lunged forward again, and the canoe at the samp time striking a rock, was capsized, spilling its oecupauts into the water and putting out the torch. All this happened in a second, as it seemed, and the boys, thus thrown into the stream and at the mercy of the bear aud current, struggled to right the canoe and clamber in again. After awhile they succeeded, and Roy, who was fortunate enough to retain one paddle, pushed the boat from the rocks aud scut it out into the river, where it was caught in a swift current and carried along like a feather. “This is better than drowning among the rocks—or beingeaten up by the bear,” said Phil, as he looked back. “But we’ve lost our Thanksgiving bear steak, I guess.” “Lost the bear!” cried Roy sharply, as his face whitened. “Look yonder. He is still clinging to the stern of the boat.” This was true, as could be seen by the moonlight, which at that particular place fell through the trees upon the eddying waters. The two boys stared at the

homely head lifted above the tide aud at the sharp claws that seemed to dig their way into the woodwork at the stern. The hear held on with a death grip as the current bore the canoe and the young Nimrods rapidly down stream, now narrowly j mtaring some half sunken tree, and now nearly capsizing again as Roy tried to escape a hidden rock. “What shall we do?” cried Phil at last,

as he turned a frightened face toward his companion. “The bear is determined to prove our Jonah, and in a short time we shall reach the falls.” “Cut him loose,” said Roy. “You have your knife, haven’t yon?” • Phil bailed the suggestion with a cry of joy, and brought from the depths of his pocket a big jack-knife, and in another moment he leaned toward the bear in their wake. Instead of striking at the throat which was exposed, he drove the keen blade into one of the feet near the root of the claws, and drew it toward him. The bear growled savagely, but Phil bravely faced the beast and severed the other foot likewise. “A tree! a tree!” rang out Roy’s voice at this moment, and before Phil could duck his head the canoe struck the obstacle in the middle of the Little Red. and in a jiffy they were in the water again and struggling to grasp the limbs of the lodged tree. In this they were successful, and when they had drawn themselves up among the branches they looked at one auothjr with grim smiles. They kpew that they were destined to pass the night in the tree, which they did. and when day came they found themselves near a plantation. By dint of shouting until they were hoarse they made themselves heard, and were rescued by several plantation hands, one of whom discovered the bear lodged in another tree a little farther down the river. The animal was dead, and when he was drawn ashore the boys related their thrill-

ing experience with his benrship the night before. A wagon was procured and the homeward journey begun, and in ample

season for dinner the boys arrived with the Thanksgiving hear. —New York Press.

CAPSIZED THE CANOE.

ARRIVING WITH THE THANKSGIVING BEAR.