Receiving Heaven’s Judgment
–Morning of December 14th–
It was December 14th. Already, six days had passed since the bear had first appeared. Six days of clear weather in December. Each and every member of the exterminators were thankful for such a long run of clear days, for in a normal year, the fields and mountains would be slumbering under a fall of never-ending snow. Though the bear had fled, there ought to be signs of the shooting upon the ice bridge. Headquarters had fortified the site. Not a drop of water would pass though their formation.
Unable to wait for dawn, some men made for the other side of the river where the bear had appeared last night. Tracks and bloodspots were scattered about, confirming that the bear had been injured. The bear had also been shot on the 30th of November, while stealing corn from the Ikeda house. With two bullets in it, the bear ought not be able to move far. This news was of great delight to the party. Their faces were lively. “This is the day we get ‘em!” “I’ll put ‘em down!”
Headquarters immediately set off after the bear’s trail. It was still dark, and as they followed the tracks, they realized that the bear was becoming more and more unbalanced. The trackers grew more and more brave.
“You can’t run from us! He’s a fish in a barrel!” they boasted optimistically.
The bear walked about two kilometers along the base of the mountain, changed directions around Tsuji-no-sawa, and then headed into the national forest about the spur of the mountain. Its tracks headed for a small peak, about 150 meters from the foot of the mountain. The trail of blood, though faint, continued to trickle, and now droppings could be seen. The bear’s movements were continuing to lessen.
At this point, ten matagi hunters formed a wide circle formation and began to sidle up the slope. Behind them were the dogs and the beaters, as well as another group of hunters, advancing with great caution.
Off to the side was Yamamoto Heikichi, the favorite son of Sōya. He was a resident of On’ne-no-sawa in Onishika, and he was considered the best shot in the whole province. His head, as always, was topped with a military hat.
One step in front of the party, Heikichi spied the shape of the bear, concealed behind the trunk of a large oak. The bear had taken no notice of the men at the foot of the mountain and had still not spied Heikichi.
It was the perfect opportunity. He grasped his gun tightly.
Heikichi crept forward about twenty meters, taking care not to make a sound. He hid himself behind a large oak. This was where he had chosen to take his shot. He raised his gun quietly and took aim.
BANG! The repeat of the gun echoed throughout the hills.
In the next instant, the giant bear fell backwards heavily and hit the ground with a crash.
The vanguard of the party let out jubilant cheers. Then, the toppled bear came to its feet deliberately and let out a ferocious roar, glaring at Heikichi. The hunters behind him all scrambled for their guns.
Yamamoto fired two more shots. These also hit their target.
The bear tumbled onto its back. Yamamoto’s first shot had come near the bear’s heart, and the second pierced its skull; this was the fatal shot. It was ten in the morning on December 14th, 1915.
As the echoes of the repeats faded, the exterminators massed in a frenzy around the bear, which had breathed its last, giving out great cries of joy.
The bear’s jaws were clamped in agony on its tongue, and the fur of its head, stained crimson, was positively bristling. It was a male, with tawny hair mixed with a splash of dark brown. It was a large thing: from head to foot it was 2.7 meters in height and weighed 340 kilograms. On its chest was a bow-shaped patch of white fur which would come to be called its “bandolier.” They put it at seven or eight years old. Its front paws were twenty centimeters wide and its rear paws 30 centimeters long. Its claws were frighteningly sharp weapons. The fur on its head was sharp to the touch, and its head was unusually large compared to the rest of its body. Never before had anyone seen a bear such as this.
The exterminators had different reactions to the bear’s death: some hit the body with swords or sticks; some kicked it; some stepped on top of it; some opened its mouth and looked inside. Some even thrust sticks into its anus. These expressions of hate for the bear continued without end until it was dragged from the scene. Its canines were greatly damaged, probably from when it bit into the hot stone at the Kazuma residence (For the longest time, the actual stone was preserved, but according to Mrs. Kazuma Take, at some point it went missing).
Again, a cheer erupted from all present. The overlapping voices of two hundred people echoed through the mountains, signaling that it was all over. It remained the worst bear attack in known history, but the 14th of December was a strange day, the day all the victims had been avenged.
Headquarters, established early on the morning of December 12th and disbanded three days later in success, had dispatched over six hundred people and ten Ainu hunting dogs. On the first day alone there were two hundred and seventy people. They had procured between them sixty guns.