The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-11-21
Desperate Fight With GrizzeIy.

Desperate Fight With Grizze'y
A correspondent of the Helena Mon
tana) Gazette, writing from Camp Green
Clay Smith, near the yellow Stone, gives
the following thrilling account of bear
fight:
Orderly Sergent S. R. Shroke, Of Com
pany E, Captain CAMPBELL, formerly OF
Monroe, Wisconsin, having been in Mon
tana something less than a year, thought
he must needs signalize his mountain life
by dispatching, single handed, huge
grizzly. Accordingly, on the 18th inst
when out hunting, being about fifty miles
from this lamp, on the eastern branch OF
the Powder, the opportunity was en-
braced to do so.
Leisurely proceeding on his way, his
tranquility of mind was suddenly disturb
ed by looking up and seeing bear just
ahead of him. Their eyes met simulta-
neously, bruin' s vengefully glaring. The
sergeant halted, and, cooking his piece,
the bear came right on, as if, understand
ing the maneuver, he would show how
contemptuously he regarded it. But the
sergeant; equally defant-and prudence,
perhaps lost sight of in that novel ambi-
| ton which majority of those recently
from the East have to kill a grizzely
while in the Mountains-levelcd his rifle
and fired, just us as his savage foe reared
on his hind legs to close with him
His bullet struck close to it, if it did
not penetrate, the heart. The bear fell.
Regaining his feet with fierce, terrible
growl. he wheeled and endeavored to
escape. Calling to his companion, who
was probably $50 yards in the rear, to
come quickly to him upon his arrival
they pursued the animal together. When
within twenty yards, the sergeant having
reloaded, again fired, and thinks he shot
the bear well upon the shoulder, and
about midways of the body; his compan-
ion Immediately succeeded with his bull
let, planting good ounce of lead in one
of the huge beasts shoulders.
Bruin now turned upon and pursued
his foes. They stood their ground, and
when Sergeant Shroke had rel oaded, the
bear was in ten feet Of him, coming with
undated speed. He leveled when he
almost imagined he could feel the mon
ster's hot breath in his face.
The trigger is pulled-the percussion
proved faulty with the undischarged gun
in his hand, powerful blow of the in
furiated GRIZZLY carries away the greater
part of his scalp. Before reaching the
ground the bear has caught in his mouth
his left hand, and the jaws of his teeth
met among its cords and sinews. The
sergeant sinks to the ground beneath the
shaggy giant, whose holt on the ground
beneath is still unrelaxed, when his COM
panion reaches the spot and sends : bull
let into the beasts head. Stunned, but
still having murderous vitality, the bear
rolls over on his back and his red tongue
again protrudes from his mouth to once
more close with the sergeant Quick as
thought the sergeant thrust h right
hand down the animals throat and fierce
ly grasped his tongue.
His companion had reloaded his piece
and put third bullet in the bears head
Again the bear withdrew his worries,
and catching in his mouth the sergeant's
gun commenced vigorously chewing off
the stock. Now, regaining his feet, the
sergeant discharges two bullets from his
revolver. These ended the contest with
the death of the bear. The sergeant re-
turned to camp in indescrible agony,
and, though suffering with great pain, he
is in fair way of speedy recovery; but
he will carry to his last moment the
the scars of this desperate adventure
He says he has killed the bar, and don t
want nothin' more to do with the crit
ters."