The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-04-24
4 BATTLE WITH GRIZZLY BEA Ms.

From " The Hunter Feast BY Capt MsSns hnid
An adventure with grizzly bears which had
betallen the captain" was next related. lie
had been travelling with u strange party
the Scalp Hunters in the mountains near
Santa Fe. when they were Overtaken by u sud
den and heavy fali Of snow that rendered fur
ther progress impossible. The canon,' =
deep valley in which they had encamped was
difficult to get through at any time, but now
the path, on account of the deep, soft snow,
was repdered impossible. When morning
broke they found themselves fairly in the
trap"
Above and below the valley WAS choked with
snow five fathoms deep. Vast assures were
filed with the drit. and II was pcrilous to at
tempt penetrating in either direction. Two
men hal already disappeared
On each side Of our camp rose the walls Of
the canon, almost vertical, TO tho height Of q
hundred feet. These we might have climbed
had the weather been soft, for the rock was a
trap formation. and oa'ercd numerous seams and
lodges but now there was q coating Of ice and
snow upon them that rendered the aseeat i'm
possible. The ground had been frozen hard
before the storm came on. although II wHs now
freezing no longer. and the snow would not
the valley proved idle; and we gave them over,
yielding ourselves, in q kind Of reckless des-
pair TO wait for scarce knew What.
For three days we sat shivering around the
fires now and thee casting looks Of gloomy in.
quiry around the sky The same dali gray for
On answer, mottled with fakes siantng earth
ward, for il still continued to snow. Not q
spot cheercd the aching eye.
i,t,to Al =
piece Of two or three acres--wss still free from
the snow DRIFT, on account Of its exposure to
the wind. Struggling pines, stunted and
leaaess, grew over It's surface, in oil about fifty
or sixty trees. From these we obtained our
tlres but what were fires, when we had no meat
to cooS upon them,
We were now in the third day without food.
though not absolutely without eating. The
men had bolted their gun covers, and the cat
skin flaps Of their bullet pouches, and were
now seen--the last shift but che stripping the
parfcehe from the soles of their moccasins
The women, wrapped in their taimes, nestled
closely in the embrace Of father, brother. hus.
band and lover: ior all these affections were
present. The last string Of the tasago, hither
10 economical for their sake; had been parcel
led out 10 them in the morning That gone,
ana whence was tFir next ihorssi 10 eo'M =
Al long intervals, iy de mn Dios, di ma alma
were heard only m low mnrmnrs' as some cold
er blast swept down the canon. In the mces
of tbo+n beautiful creatures might be read that
uneomplaining patrnce--thst high endurance
so Characteristic OF the htspano Mexican
women Even the stern men around them bore
up with les1 fortItnde. Rude oaths were ut
tured from time TO time. and teeth ground To.
getber with that strange Wild look that herald-
INSANITY ohe OF twice inneieu tnat i 90
served look Of still stranger import. still Wild
er expression. when the black ring forms around
the eye-~wben the muscles twi'ch and aalver
along. gaunt, famshed Iaws-when men gaze
guhty-llke at each other Oh u was f'arfnl'.
The half robber discipline voluntary at the
hest, had vanished under the hvciiing rod oi
common suffering and J trembed to think
at Glars leetle' out tharawa'
u was the voice OF the 'rapF~r. ''arey' who
had risen ami sto"d pointing TOWARDS the f'ast'
In an instant We were oil upon our 'eef. look
ing ~ the direction indicated sure enough
there Was break IN the had-eoiorcd SKY a
!eioNlsn s'reaS, INA, "lusn" & ~. /" w. WI
uhncd gazing -'he uaH.s 'er, nshu, 'n,'"'
and IN Two hours more II hai ce"%n Sno"'Ss
"',g'ther' -. IA
"' a u'In VI ~ s' ' ~ ,
-unck a""n 'he 'alNy W. Ny''a nn'.s o,' .u'
nTn' n A'"mP. :. " ''a"i"' r"n u"ous" ., ~,
urht, IL. va" al a .c ~" ."e s"'" "'s I,' D.'