The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-06-30
Written for the Telegraph.
Written for the Telegraph.
SNOW BOUND IN THE SIERRA
"a NEVADAS
CONTINUED.
NEVADAS
CONTINUED.
CHATTER 1II-MY FIRST GRIZZLY.


ticular incident. The snow frozc 50 thai
we could walk about, but it would no
bear yet in the canons Some OF Us
spent considerable time wandering aboE
our prison. looking for game, but without
much success, One day fell in with &
specimen which came near making game
of me. fr a.
The valley in which we werelmprison
ed was about mile and a half long, aud
two thirds as broad our hut was at til,
mouth of the canon the lower part was
covered with dense growth of pines and
scrubby cedaIs
was exploring this thieket alone, rifle
in hand, about dusk. l had wandered all
about, without seeing so much as rabbit
and was stalking toward camp buried in
gloomy thoughts, and not paying much
attention to my path, when suddenly ]
heard loud "Whoof!" like the snort of
"a srartled boo, pnly much londer, right in
fruursof me My heart gave u great leap,
.;nd then almost stopped BEATING: far
though had never heard il before !
knew there was but one animal in this
neighborhood capable OF producing it,
that was a grizzly bear Z And there in
the gathering gloom was a huge dnsky
mass, with small, g!aring eyes, and huge,
white tusks standing right before me, its
fore-paws resting on fallen tree, not
more THAI thirty YARDS of, surveying me
with n air of sorly astonishment, andey-
identity meaning mischief. The courage
OF some men under such circumstances
has been source OF wonder to me-; but
couldn't feel it. | should like III saw
here that "my courage never forsook me,
but my nerves We're perfectly steady
hut candor compels me TO acknowledge
that was very badly scared; in tact, |
suppose Iwas at that time the worst
scared man on the continent; for few
moments was paralyzed with fear, and
couldn't stir a muscle; I was too much
frightened To run. My thoughts, howeV-
er, were busy. I saw my far distant hon,e,
and the faces Of those never should SEE
again. Thought how my companions,
searching for me- would find only few
scattered bones; and then perhaps,
months after my fate would make an
item in the newspapers. Don't think too
hard Of me for feeling so;.A | was young
and it was my first solitary encounter
with anything more feFqeious than IA
woodchuck.3 H oam acatE gal3 a.a
The cpun4eis Of Long Jack, too, came
into my mind ase.s use a. rse.s,
3 $ Young felier,N he had said, slif ayer
1heeta grizzly, let him alone, onless yer
we'll mounted an in the open ground. a
bar can pull down the best boss in the
chapparal Eff yer see hes bound toatgi
fur yer, when yer afut, don't git excited
an go to shootin' wild, but hold yer fire
an let him come afore he gifts close, he'll
stapia minnit N Iareson his hin legs
lthen's yer time; aim fur the heart, Ice
tie below the left fore-shoulder; hit hin
5thar.an' yer meat; bnt cloA't yei
miss, or you'll be his'n!
/ was perfectly willing to let hin
alone; never felt more peaceably inclln
ed toward any animal in my life Bat
"Old Ephraim,' as The trappers call him
seemed TO have no such feelings, TOWARD
me on the contrary he appeared resoly
ed to sup on me. Some writer's hay,
asserted that the grizzly will not face s
man, but this one certainly faced me
had it been several men, he proba
bly, would have aed, but all old "moun
tain men will tell you that a solitary
man on foot will beapt to fare hard.
4 had not much time for reflection: tll1
monster, after staring at me few sec
onds, as II astonished at my appearance
and not knowing what to make of it
seemed at last to decide that | was fail
game, and, with q hoarse, cultural. roar
leaped over the log and came shamblins
| toward ME. don't know that I can bet
ter describe my feelings, than by saying
that my blood seemed all at once turned
| ea.eel.. wais8i. ! still had the ,r.sl
! however, 10 know that my only cIialic.
was in standing my ground, and / strug
gled desperately to overcome my nervous
ness. tes us 3e@
All at once the feeling changed m,