The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-08-02

"He tried to prevail upon Guy to ride
up; telling him there was no danger ,
and that both of his barrels, loaded with
slugs would certainly kill him.. But
Guys sole answer was;
" Look a-here, Kernel, you can sock
along arter the bar jist aslong as you've
mind tu, and hers my six shooter, but
you can't toll me up thar, no howl I
dot't mind taking turn with big black
Arkansaw, but when it comes to hunting
grizziies on a pony, jist count me ont p
But nothing could prevail upon Ian
der to allow the bear to escape; 80
exchanging revolvers, he again dashed
into the bushes.
"The bear, we could see, had lain
down in q tangled spot in the covert and
seemed to await the coming of his enemy.
Lander, supposing that most of his shots
had been futile, from the swerving of
his horse, determined to make sure work
this time, and 80 rode down to within
twenty feet of the bear, and taking de.
liberate aim at his head, fred.
In bound the bear was almost on
him, and / held my breath and closed
tempt to render any assistance.
" Guy seemed frozen on his horse !;
but the Blackfoot with . wild whoop,
charged down in q circle, waving his
blanket upon his gun, and making loud
outcries to engage the attention of the
bear but all would have been fruitless
had not the gallant old horse, true to
his training, darted off to the right, and
so suddenly that could scarce believe
he had escaped, when saw the brute,
with a mad howl, fall where they had
stood moment before.
Gone of the stirrups caught in low
bush, and the rider was thrown back up
on the saddle; and found myself writh-
ing in my seat as I fancied that all was
lost But no; by violent effort he re-
covered himself, and I again breathed
more freely; but only again to suspend
my breath, as a moment later, the old
horse stumbled over grassy mound
The bear was within six feet of him, and
it seem as if all earth could not save the
rider.
"I dashed madly down only to have
riden to my own destruction but again
the brave old horse redeemed himself
nobly; and though evidently much
blown, stretched out across the prairie
like the wind, the bear close behind
Swinging along with roolling gate, his
green eyes seeming to strike fire; foam
ing at the mouth and bowling with rage
and pain, as ever and again Lander would
turn in the saddle and fire. When they
reached the open prairie. Old Buffalo
gradually widened the distance between
them; and firing low, the foreleg of the
bear was broken; and rolling over on the
prairie, and groaning over the wounded
limb, the air grew frightful with howl
ings. Once more backing his horse
down ;" Lander fred the last shot in his
revolver at the bears head, when cold
Grizzly rearing upon his hind legs,
stood for moment paving the air fran
tically and then fell back-deadl
After a man has, upon the lonely
prairie, stood his watch through the dark
hours of the night momentarily expec-
ting an attack from hostile Indians, and
his blood has chilled and his flesh crept,
as he imagined, or really has seen, the
lurking foe through the gloom, and yet
dare not fire, lest he exposed his own
person as target; after man has gone
through this, night after night, he may
imagine he can realize the meaning of
anxiety.
All this I have undergone, but new
er before did my heart stand still, as it
did during that half-hour's combat
knowing as did that with one false step
of the horse, the riders life was not worth
the purchase; impressed the more forci-
bly, upon me next day, when I saw Guy
thrown amid heard of buffalo, by his
stumbling horse.
"On taking off the skin, it was found
that eight revolver bullets had passed
into vital parts One had broken a
fore-leg; one had made deep wound in
the shoulder; and the last shot had Civ
en- the death-wound In the head.
"Of twelve shots fred in the heart of
the contest, eleven had hit the bear, nine
of which would have been death-wounds
to anything but grizzly. We estimate
him to weigh twelve hundred pounds.
"Our little mule was loaded down
with the best portions of the meat, and
driven into camp by our Blackwood ally
singing the brave song of his race, and
relating between-whiles how their war
riors kill the fierce animal.
With their imperfect arms, they
never attack the bear in the summer
It is only when torpid with cold that
they seek his den in the mountains; be-
fore which they make barricade of logs
and kindling huge fire, by its light,
riddle the vulnerable parts of the bear
with arrows. aE H.
Lander became to our Indian guides
an object of great admiration, and was
christened by them Kaya, or bear of
the lnonntain. which we angliciZed by