The Republican journal., 1871-03-16

one swift stroke of his paw sent it flying
from the grasp of his foe far into the lake
Then Bruin passed from the defensive to
vigorous attack, and began climbing in
to the boat. To take such passenger or
board was exceedingly unpleasant, and,
armed with oars, the party used due
diligence. 1t proved impossible to KEEP
him out, but by quick concerted action
they succeeded in passing him over into
the water again. The bear returned tC
the charge, and was again tumbled out;
In the third assault the boat was SO hlled
with water that it capsized, and the ad-
venturous pioneers fond themselves SWIM
ming for life Bruin was master OF the
situation, but stupidity declined the ad-
vantage. As the party clinging to the
oars, swan away, they saw the bear seat
ed upon the upturned boat regarding then
exertions with philosophical indifference.
The common brown bear OF North
America is an insignificant creature; and
it remained for the grizzly bear Of the
Rocky Mountains to give dignity to the
species What an immense, fearful ami
NAL it is We owe much to the grizzly
bear. He aided, in lieu of war, to lift
our money getting people to higher
level of manhood Nothing but the dis
covery of gold in California could drag
us from our counting-rooms, workshops,
and fields The hazardous crossing OF
vast deserts and trackless mountains, the
fights with Indians, and, above all, the
adventures with the grizzly bear, develop
ed the manhood found, strange to say, in
the combattiye instincts of our nature. |
l, a1 1ut
am impressed with the presence OF a
stronger and larger man than the ordl-
nary American
An encounter with grizzly bear is
fraught with peril The creatures
strength. courage, and strange vitality,
make the deadly contest nearly even be-
tween the armed man and the unarmed
beast. Heaven help the hunter whose un-
steady aim leaves the bear uncrippled.
Before he can reload, the enemy will be
upon his works. When the contest is
narrowed to that pass, Daniel Boone's
celebrated prayer, when the famous
pioneer found himself face to face with
the common brown bear would be q
waste of breath. The petition is worth
putting on record as a specimen of West
ern humor, if not an incident in the life
OF Boone. 80 Lord piously cried the
fighter, in the brief pause given him
previous to the deadly combat between a
scalping- knife and the claws, ''here's
a-goin' to be one of the biggest b'ar-tghts
YOU ever did see 0 Lord, eff you can't
help me, for Gods sake don't help the
bar
A friend of mine, Il bold hunter from
England, told me once OF Il scrape he
found himself in, while hunting the grizzly
bear of the Rocky Mountains. He came
upon his prey quite unexpectedly, and
man and beast stared at each other in
some astonishment, not fifty yards apart
The bear exhibited no disposition of Il
modest or retiring sort, and my friend
made haste to tender him a warm recep-
ton. He fired with more quicllness than
accuracy The bullet from the heavy
rifle tore away a portion of Bruins ear,
and. grazing the skull. stunned the brute
for an instant The hunter hastened to
reload, but before he could do 50 the bear
had regained his legs, and, although
somewhat groggy, came at his enemy.
My friend had time only to drop his rifle
and spring into Il tree, up which he
clambered with the IN activity worthy of
earlier youth. Grizzly, one Of the largest,
made short work of the rifle. Then he
sat on his launches and gazed stupidity at
the man in the tree. AS the pain of his
mutilated ear increased, he grew furious.
and, seizing the pine in which his enemy
had taken refuge, he fairly shook it in his
rage My friend had a revolver in his
belt, and, bringing this to bear, he favor
ed Bruin with six shots. He might Us
well have popped his lead into IN iron
clad At every discharge the bear eX-
pressed intense disgust and renewed his
assault upon the tree.
A seat upon the branches of tree is
not comfortable at any time; but with 4
sidered exceeding unpleasant. Hours
wore slowly away, with the bear moving
about, at times in full view, and again
hidden by the underbrush. At last, about
sunset, he took himself off, and our hunter
was about to descend, when ne again
heard reports from his enemy These
We're fierce growls of rage that issued
from gorge near by. My friend at first
supposed the bear had encountered other
hunters but, as he heard no sound of
guns nor other evidences OF mortal com
bat, he resumed his seat and listened.
The mysterious uproar continued, and
what was strange appeared in the fact
that ii came from the same spot Unarm-
ed, and faint from hunger and fatigue,
my friend remained all night clinging 10
his perch; and at intervals he heard the
bear growing and tearing fllriously
The comical idea seized on the hunter,
that Bruin had stupidity mistaken some
other pine for the one that sheltered his
enemy.
The night wore slowly away. The
stars, glittering as stars can glitter only
in those mountain regions, passed in their
solemn march, while the deep forests OF
evergreens We're full of strange noises tC
which the bear added his eccentric conduct
My friend slept from time to time, and in
variably dreamed of falling, 10 wake with
start and find himself clinging to the
branches of the pine. When rnan sleeps
in Il tree, the muscles necessary to his
safety do not relax as in ordinary sleep
but when through fatigue they are about
to lose their tension, the sleeper is awaken
ed by Il dream. This is one of the singular
little phenomena we overlook while in
search of larger ones. Who has not seen
a mother in u railroad car or stage-coach,
holding her infant when tired nature had
forced sleep upon her? Her head will
drop in sleep upon her breast, but the
arms will not sleep; and when exhausted,
the muscles are about to relax and let the
child fall, the loving mother will awaken
with start and gather her babe nearer
to her heart. OF the same sort is the fact
so familiar to us all. that when one is
about to start upon a journey early in the
morning. and fixes in his mind before
going to sleep the hour necessary to
awaken, at that hour the sleeper will start
into consciousness as if shaken by some
friend. And l have often asked what
part of us it is that remains awake to
guard the infant or arouse the sleeper
The evidences of spiritual life lie all about
us, but, like our Saviour in the manger,
seem so humble and insignificant that we
magnificent creatures take no notice OF
them.
But to return to my friend. Day dawn
ed at last, and he crawled down, sore,
faint, and hungry. Ee was about tc
gather up the fragments of his rifle and
hurry back to camp, when fresh burst
of rage from the wounded bear, and issu-
Al. Il .xl