Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-03-09
EHunting viii, tIsc H.asso.

The following amusing adventure is from
Colonel Marcy's Thirty Years of Army
Life on the Border:"
"A naval officer, many years ago, made
the experiment of hunting with lasso but
his success was 10y no means decisive. The
officer hal, itappearcd by constant practice
! upon the ship, while making the tresome
anu long voyage around the Horn, acquired
very considerable proficiency in the use of
the lasso, and was able, at twenty or thirty
PAGES, to throw the moose over the head Of
the negro cook at almost every cast. So
confident had he become in his skill that.
on his arrival upon the coast of Southern
California, he employed guide, and noun
ted on weltrained horse, with his lasso
properly coiled and ready for use, he one
morning set out for the mountains, with the
iirm resolve of bagginga few grizzlies be-
lore night. He had not been out great
while before lie encountered one of the lar
Sest specimens of the mighty beast, whose
terrific aspect amazed him not little; bu. as
lie had come out with firm determination to
capture grizzly, in direct opposition to the
advice of the guide, he resolved to show
him that he was equal to the occasion. Ac-
cordnciy he seized his lasso, and riding up
near the animal, gave it several rapid whirls
above his head in the most artistic manner,
and sent the..noosc directly around the bears
neck at the very first cast but the animal,
instead of taking to his heels and endeavor-
ing to run away, as he had anticipated very
deliberately sat upon his launches facing his
adversary, and commenced making IA very
careful examination of the rope He turned
his head from one side to the other in look
ing at 1t he felt it with his paws, and
scrutinized 1T very closely, rs il it was some
thing he could not comprehend. In the
meantime the officer turned his horse in
the opposite direction, and commenced APP
plying the rowels to his side most vigorous
ly, with the confident expectation that he
was to choke the animal to death, and drag
him off i'll triumph; but. to his astonsh-
ment, the horse, with his utmost efforts, did
not seem to advance. The great strain upon
the lasso, however, began 20 choke the bear
so much .hat he soon became cnraged,
and gave the rope several slaps, first with
ore paw and then with the other; hut find
ing this did not relieve him, he seized the
lasso with both paws, and commenced pull
ing 1t III hand over hand, or rather paw
over paw, and bringing with it the horse
and rider that were attached to the oppo-
site extremity. The officer redoubeh the
application OF both whip and spurs, but it
was OF no avail-he had evidently caught Il
Tartar and in spite of all efforts of lis
horse he recoicd rather than advanced. In
this intensely exciting and critical juncture
he cast hasty glance to the rear, and, to
his horror, found himself steadily backing
towards the irightlul monster, ~no sat up
with his eyes glarng like balls of fire, his
huge mouth wide open and frotbing with
rage and sending forth the most terrific and
deep toned roars. He now, for the first
time, felt seriously alarmed, and cried out
vociterously for his guide to come to his
rescue. The latter responded promptly,
rode up, cut the lasso, and extricated the
amateur gentleman from his perious posi-
tion. He was much rej0ced at his escape,
and, in reply to the inquiry of the guide as
to whether he desired to continue the hunt
he said that it was getting SO late that he
believed lie would capture no more grizzlies
on that day"