The Republican journal., 1873-04-24
The Ferocious Grizzly.

w Z lCftSuCu DtuNtl, oOl., WltIlOut lu dt-
cldent, where | left them, to pursue their
journey straight through to California.
while |, with several companions, struck
across the mountains, through the south
western part Of Dakota, now Wyoming,
intending to 60 to Virginia City, Montana,
where great gold excitement was then
raging.
One OF my companions, Shell Murry bv
name, was formerly my chum, while we
hunted and secuted through that same
region OF country, about five or six wears
before. | met him at Denver and easily
persuaded him to accompany me to the
mines. He was the most expert shot that
| ever saw in all my frontier travels, and
was universally acknowledged the same
| have seen him before now get some one
to throw up potato or an apple, at a
distance of twenty OF twenty-five yards
from the muzzle OF his rifle, which he
would plug to the centre every time
feat rarely if ever equaled
My other companion was regular
down-east Yankee, haiing from Vermont
| never saw any one that could beat him
talking, and Shell declared that his
tongue was hung on a swivel and wagged
at both ends. He had large pack on his
back. filled with all manner of worthless
trinkets $50 we then thought } which he
asserted would yet prove to make his
fortune. Nearly bent double under his
heavy load, he would drag along behind
u.s. and every once in 4 while holler out,
4 say, hyar, YOU fellers yer in a hurry.
aint yer No persuasion or entreatv
would induce him to leave part or all of the
fatal pack (Which, as you will see pres
emily, proved his ruin) behind him as we
wanted to make faster time The amount
Of swearing that Shell did at that 'ornarv
cuss.' rs he called him. would make a
street gamin stare but we dare not leave
him behind u.s. for fear that the Indians
orgrizzlies, which were pretty thick around
there, would make short work OF him.
50 we trudged patiently on, with the de
termination to slide out and leave him
at the next settlement we came to-
One night after q hard days tramp, we
We're sitting around the cheerful camp
lire; the Taukec was loquacioti,ly lis
coursng on the superiority of his own
native State, and the East generally over
the West. Shell had leaned back against
4 fallen tree and was half asleep, and
was stretched at full length on the ground
thinking of home, for by that time we
| had become so used to the Yankees
! tWaddle. that it disturbed us no more than
| the signing OF the night breeze through
the forest trees, and the only way to silence
him was to let him talk till he fell asleep
on his pack, which he never let out of his
sight for Il moment.
| How long had lain there | do not
know, but suddenly starting from a deep
| dream, rose up on my elbow, rubbed
my eyes and looked around A few re-
naming embers of our last nights fire
were still glowing. Shell was quietly
sleeping in the same position | had last
seen him when | went to sleep; the
Yankee also was sound asleep on his
pack. Wondering what had awakened
me, | looked around cautiously to discover
the cause, but seeing nothing, was be-
ginning to sink to the ground again to
resume my slumber, when u slight crack
ling noise attracted my attention in the
direction where the Yankee was sleeping;
and in another moment | saw n large
whitsh mass emerge from the thicket and
approach the unconscious sleeper A cold
chill crept over me, for in the whitish
mass recognized the grizzly bear The
animal began snuffn@ around the Yankee,
see him torn TO pieces <my mind and
body had become pa,alyzod, tor WAS an
able to move or thinkcoolly; finally sum.
moning all my energies, jumped to my
feet with loud yell, and at the same
time firing off one OF my r4volvels. She'll
jumped to his feet, the Yankee rose with
the grizzly scooted through the bushes a.
fact hn anil bat Il 4 l.,
which was the most frightened, the Bear
OF the Yankee
There was no more sleep fur us ;il.t
night, and i'll the morning Shell and de-
termined TO pay the grizzly back for the
fright he had given us during the night
although the Yankee was opposed to Tins
move, he would not stay behind, but
shouldered his pack and followed US.
We trtied the bear for about two hours,
and finally reached the banks Of 4 wide
and swift running stream. The bear mad
evidently come to the river for Il drink,
for we traced his tracks to the very edge
OF the water; and the trail from there
struck across the country in diagonal
direction from the way he had come
Shells blood was up, and he was deter
mined to have the bears skin if he hunted
u week 70: him, and no words Of the poor
peddler could dissuade him from bis pur-
pose
We had not proceeded twenty rods upon
the trail, when l,ewho was in advance,
heard sharp crunching noise ia the
bushes directly in front OF me. | advanced
4 few more shepo, aud tiiscefii6a tile faint
outline of the bear through the thick
brush, crunchng in his huge Jaws the re-
mains of some animal. raised up my
hand to Shell and the Yankee, rs sign
FOR them to stop, as had discovered some
thing. Then | raised my rifle, in which
had put an extra bullet, to nv shoulder,
took careful aim at his heart and fired.
A fearful roar followed the shot, and the
bear rushed from the bushes into the
clearing where we were standing, and on
catching sight tt us he tossed his ungain-
ly head and ma'e straight for us The
old maxim that had often heard n the
settlements, Every peddler for himse
was never more completely followed out
than now. Drop your pack and run
shouted Shell to the peddler, who stood
in the middle of the clearing, undecided,
with his revolver in his hand, while Shell
himself was going for the nearest saplino
at rate rarely equaled; and was max
ing for some of the steep bluffs on the
bank of the river The Yankee instead
of throwing off his pack, started for
small tree about three rods from where
he stood, with the pack still on his
shoulders, and the consequence was that
before he had got half way, the bear had
nearly reached him. The Yankee, him
self, looking over his shoulders rs well
as he could with that huge pack bundled
onto him, saw that he could not reach the
tree before he bear. So he resoutely
turned around, facing the now furious
beast revolver in hand, and before the
bear could reach him, he had emptied his
seven shooter in the carcass, and throw
ing away his revolver, drew his hunting
knife.
On seeing the pedder thus hard beset,
both Shell and turned to the rescue, but
too late, for ere we could reach the spot,
he had raised upon his hind legs, and de-
livered y fearful blow ut the poor man,
which struck him on the shoulders, knock
ing him flat on the ground, and then