The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-08-02
(From the Knickerbocker Magazine.l
A GRIZZLY BEAR HUNT.

lFrom the Knckerbocker Magazine.l
A GRIZZLY BEAR HUNT.
A welcome correspondent, near Olym-
pia, Washington Territory, on the /" Pa
ci6c SLOPE" sends us the annexed graphic
description of GA Grizzly Bear Hunt -
which will greatly interest our Atlantic
readers. tits minutely correct, in every
particular
Pretty comfortable rancho for an
Oregonian, said Billy complacently,
as he stretched his legs so as to angle in
as much as possible of the genial warmth
of the fire.
"And look through the window at
old RAINIER Humphr says Billy,
shut him out;' he looms up too grim
and cold in the moonlight; in such
weather as this man wants to look at
volcanoes. @
Z" A cigar put Billy in such good hu-
NOR, and the angle ofhis legs increased
so amazingly, that it was sight to see,
as sat in my little ireside corner
and heaped on the logs, that threw out
the Pickering light over the little cabin.
"tNow Old Grizzly had a deuced
sight better have come down
"t Maybe he was afraid the canoe
wouldn't be safe this gusty weather.
"' Afraid p says Billy; 'man alive,
when one earns his name as he did his,
fear and him are not very close acquain-
tances. Let me tell you why we called
him so ,
&c. You see, Lander, as Engineer of
Reconnaissance, was frequently off upon
detached duty, and when we were upon
the eastern slope of the Rockey Noun
tains, near the head of the Marias river,
he took off from the main camp some
seven of US to aid him.
" We had been five days out from camp,
when one evening we saw large moving
object afar off upon the prairie. We
had been for some days out of fresh meat,
and the idea of a rich, juicy buffalo-hump
induced Lander, Texan named Guy,
a young Blackfoot, (whom we had as a
guide across the Blackfoot Pass, and
myself, to ride out in pursuit.
!" We three were all pretty well armed
with revolvers, and Guy had, in addition,
a ble-barreled gun, loaded with slugs,
Lander particularly prided himself on
his horse-an old buffalo-hunter-from
whose back he had short time previous
ly shot Lone Bull
"Guy was mounted upon a pony
which had been bought few days before
at a camp of Grosventre's, whose capac-
ities for running were, if Guys word was
to be credited, unequalled. The Black
foot was mounted upon a mule, while I
had a sturdy-built horse, not good for
wear, and not mach for run
" When we drew near, our supposed
buffalo > was seen to be grizzly bear,
of the largest class He had come down
from the mountains to dig roots, and
as we approached he moved slowly off to
o covert of low bushes. r.
"Now I'm not particularly cowardly
myself but there was certain some
thing in the appearance of that customer
that involuntarily brought to my mind
the many stories 1 had heard of the fe-
rosity of his kind when molested, and
his numbering motion, as he went side
ways over that little prairie, was sug
gestive of considerable speed when he
chose to let himself out
'eI halted at once and, looking back,
saw that was already in advance of
Guy and the Indian, who seemed to have
no more stomach for the fray than /
had.
Lander, however, shouting for us to
come on. dashed in the covert after
Bruin, the old horse, true to his lessons
in the buffalo-hunt, galloping up on the
right side, The bear awaited no attack,
but came furiously from his shelter, and
charged at racing speed, upon horse and
rider. Lander and the bear went head
long one way, and Guy, the Indian and
[, in about as near an opposite direction
as was possible upon SO short notice,
until we went out upon the open prairie
again. Here, looking back, We could
see Bruin, still in fierce pursuit Of 'Ol6
Buffalo every instant getting farther
from the covert, and receiving the balls
from Lander's revolver as hewould turn
in his saddle to fire at him.
Again he shouted for us to come up;
but we could NOT trust our horses in
trial of speed with the NOW maddened
animal, and so kept at awary distance.
Lander appeared to have exhausted all
the loads in his revolver, and yet, save
a limping motion in his gait the bear
unharmed;; but the headlong
speed at which he had gone had evident
ly told upon him, and as Lander galloped
towards US, he slowly turned again to-
wards the covert a. - 80,