The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-10-03 00:00:00

DEER-STALKING.

A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.

STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

other side, in a hollow about ten feet off, an old she
bear, with two cubs and a yearling. Instantly Jesse
cried out, • A bear! jump bark! this is no place to
tight.' With three bounds Bill had reached a level
spot of ground, and Jesse, when the beached come close
enough to be singed by the powder, fired and broke her
shoulder. Maddened with pain, she sprang with the
quickness of lightning, and caught Jesse, who was in
the act of leaping back, by the side. Such was her
momentum that together they fell at Bill's feet, Jesse
underneath and the bear on top. Instantly she seized
his side in her huge jaws, sinking her upper tusks
deep into the muscles of the back, while she
was prevented from doing the same with her
lower ones, and thus from biting a large mouthful
out of his side, by striking against a shot-pouch
which hung by a cord from his shoulders. Jesse,
wishing to get her attention away from such vital
parts, kicked her, and at the same instant Bill, put-
his rifle close to her body, at the back of the shoulder,
and fired. The pain stung beast, supposing the cause of
her misery came from the kick, seized Jesse's foot by
the ankle and began to chew it up. Jesse then at-
tempted to get his six-shooter while Bill was loading.
Attracted by Jesse's movements, she wheeled, and re-
ceived another shot from the rifle. With wonderful
quickness she struck this, her other enemy, a clip on
the head, knocking him down, and a fourth shot went
crashing through hcr body from the six-shooter,
discharged by Jesse with his left hand. Instantly
she grabbed and bit through the left arm, but per-
ceiving Jesse moving his head, which he did in oi der
to give Bill a chance to shoot her without having it
in range, she opened her huge blood-stained jaws and
took nearly his whole head in her mouth, Jesse's eyes
staring down her throat. The situation was a despe-
rate one, and something must be done in the twinkling
of an eye. Bill 11,118 equal to it and ready. Placing
the muzzle of his rifle just at the back of her ear, he
fired. Springing back in her death-leap, she tore away
part of Jesse's upper jaw and a piece of the scalp sin.
wide by 'Jin. long. She fell back upon Bill's legs, who
rolled her off, and then took his knife and cut off the
piece of Jesse's jaw (with the teeth attached), which
hung by a thread, trimmed the ragged portion of what
remained of the scalp, and was endeavouring to dress
his wounded foot, when the yearling bear appeared
upon the scene only a few feet away. It was the work
of an instant to seize his rifle and send a bullet through
her head. When the wounds had received all the care
possible, Jesse was helped to his feet and attempted to
walk. Finding it impossible, the broad-shouldered
athlete stooped and taking the man upon his
shoulders started away. Once only in that long
tramp of eight miles did he stop to rest, wishing to
reach camp before dark, and fearing that the
wolves, if they got scent of the blood, might give
trouble. Arriving at camp, good fortune favoured
them in finding there another man who had come
in during the afternoon. Patching up their wounded
friend with prepared plaster- a roll of which hunters
generally carry—they constructed a carriage' in the
following manner :—Lashing a pole on each side of a
pony, secured to the pack-saddle—while the other ends
dragged upon the ground—they constructed a basket
of plaited deerskin thongs between the poles, just at the
back of the animal, and in this placed Jesse. This is
the Indian method of transporting their sick and
wounded. They at once set out for Fort Bridger,
travelling all that night, stopping only to pour cold
water upon the painful wounds. Never did Jesse lose
Ids unconsciousness; no sign of suffering, except a
very fev. grunts, came from the fearfully lacerated
man in the long journey. When morning arrived they
halted for two hours, and then continued on uninter-
ruptedly until night, save when they paused by some
I stream, as in the night, to bathe the wounded parts.
When evening came they arrived at the ford, where the
upper trail crosses Green River, and where an emigrant
outfit had long before been plundered, the emigrants
themselves murdered, and the waggons thrown into
the river. 'rhey here procured the front wheels of one
of the waggons and placed the poles on this, instead of
the pony, thus easing the carriage of the sufferer. All
that night and the next day they proceeded as before
with occasional stoppages for rest and doctoring. The
next night the journey was continued only until nine
o'clock, when a halt was made until morning. About
the middle of the afternoon the party rode into Fort
Bridger, and Bell was taken to the hospital and put in
' charge of the post surgeon. An examination of his
injuries was made, when the surgeon said to Bill, 'He
I can never get well.' Instantly came the first Jesse
had spoken,—' You are a liar if you think I won't.'
Truth was there, for Jesse is alive and well to-day,
still following his favourite pursuit of hunting and
trapping."

three miles distant ; and, I believe, still at Spitz-kop, -
about 20 miles distant, where the first diggings in this
nei4libourhood were discovered, The only place where ,
anything worth speaking of is being done is Pilgrim's
Rest Creek. Here there are about a dozen claims
paying fairly well. One, indeed, has turned out for
some weeks 100 ounces per week, but I have not
heard of any other approaching this yield. Besides
this dozen of paying claims, there may be a few pay-
ing expenses; the rest entail loss on those working
them. At Waterfall Creek and at Peach Tree Creek
there are only one or two diggers ; at Mae-a-mac there
are about 60, who are said to be mostly living on quietly
in the hopes of somethin* turning up. I was at Mac-a-
mac, and there was certainly but little digging going on
there. There have been many parties out prospecting
during this winter They report finding gold in small
quantities at lured places where they have searched ; they
have, nevertheless, failed to discover any payable gold
diggings. Prospecting parties are still out, and they
may report a payable locality at any moment. Still the
general feeling on the fields is rather despondent, since
so ninny prospectors have hitherto failed to discover
anything new. The population at the fields is at pre-
sent diminishing, and probably will diminish much
more in the event of nothing fresh turning up before
the ensuing summer. While the alluvial digging can-
not be said to be in a very flourishing condition at pre-
sent, quartz-reef operations appear to be progressing.
No gold bearing quartz is known to have been yet dis-
covered in the neighbourhood of Pilgrim's Rest, but in
the Marabastadt district onequartz-reef is being worked,
and the reports concerning the yield are very encourag-
ing, while another quartz-reef containing gold in payable
quantities has lately been discovered in the same direc-
tion. This Marabastadt district is situated considerably
to the west of Pilgrims Rest. lam told that one can
journey on foot between the two in three or four days,
while the waggon route is very much longer. With
regard to farming in Lydenberg district I am not
qualified to express an opinion. I may, however,
state a few facts that bear upon this subject. At pre-
sent the farms are few and far between, perhaps six
miles apart on an average down some of the valleys.
Attached to each farm is only a very small cultivated
area. I seldom saw more than five or six acres. At
this time of year, with the feldt either withered
or burnt, the farms look like oases in the desert,
having generally something green on their irri-
gated cultivated land. The farms have generally
a few blue gum and orange trees round them,
and a large orchard of peach trees. The blue gum
grows very rapidly in this country, but has been
planted only to a very emall
.extent. The present
occupiers of the farms are mostly Dutch, who, as a
rule, speak no English, though they often understand
more than they let one know. These Boers are not
very well inclined to the English, and often refuse to
sell anything to a stranger who speaks our language.
They are said, however, to be very hospitable to people
of other nationalities. Cattle and sheep seem to thrive
very well on the farms, where the grass is suited to
them respectively, but the country is, unfortunately,
most unhealthy for horses. Hoping that the above
information, though rather meagre, may be df some
value. I have the honour to remain, yours obediently,
ARTHUR W. BATE3IAN.
New Rush Diamond !gelds, South Africa, Aug. ht