The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-10-02
BEAR FIGHT.
Desperate Encounter of Two Mountain
Men with q Bear.


Desperate Encounter of Two Mountain
Men with a Bear.
From the Denver Tribune
For some days past, man of ctal-
wart frame and commanding stature
has moved among the busy throngs
which frequent our streets, the observed
of all observers. Dressed in buckskin
jacket and breeches, the latter tucked
in his boots broad-brimmed felt hat
upon his head, and no ornaments about
his person, save the countless strands
of buckskin which are necessary adj
juncts of such suit, he would instantly
be regarded as an unusual parsonage,
and the query could but arise, Who is
he? Upon inquiry, we found he was
the veritable Arkansas Bill, who, in
1867, had that terrible fight with
bear, in which his compan-
ion, Jesse Bell, was almost torn to
pieces, but lives to-day, the wonder and
admiration Of the old hunters of the
west. From Arkansas Bills own lips
we have learned the story, which we
herewith present our readers story
known only to Jesse and Bill, but of
which detached portions ale sure to be
heard in any trapper's camp, while thea
gather about the fire, storytelling.
Arkansas Bill, who is about twenty
nine years of age, and stands about
six feet and three inches in his stocking
feet, early in the spring of 1867 fell in
with Jesse Dell at Green city, when
they provided themselves with a fresh
supply of grub and ammunition, also a
prospecting outfit, and then, with a
view OF prospecting only, made for the
headwaters of the Snake and Wind
rivers. This, Bills first trip of the
kind, resulted rather disastronsly, no
lodges being discovered which they
considered worth working, or placer
mines, which would pay fair wages.
Leaving the country and striking south,
about the first of September they
reached Horse Greek, and stopped to
rest themselves and their animals. The
three or four traps which they had
taken in case they should meet otter,
here came into use. The fourth or
fifth day, while out changing the traps,
some antelope were discovered about
three miles from camp. The next day
they went to secure one, but finding
them gone, they crossed an alkali fiat
to bluff about eight miles distant
The bluff ran along the base of a hill
upon which they discovered an ante
lope, but it being too long a shot from
were they first saw him, they creBt
along and calculated by turning a sharp
piont in the bluff TO get within closer
range. just as Jesse, who was about
six feet in advance of Bill, was in the
act of crawling over the sharp rock, he
discovered on the other side, in a hol-
low about ten feet of, an old she bear,
with two cups and a yearlinV. Instant
ly Jesse cried out, GA bear jump
back this is no place to tight!" With
three bounds Bill had reached a level
spot OF ground, and Jesse, when the
bear had come close enough to be
singed by the powder, fired, and broke
her shoulder. Maddened with pain,
she sprang with the quickness of light
ming and caught Jesse, who was in the
act of leaping back, by thesside. Such
was her momentum, that together they
fell at Bills feet, Jesse underneath and
the bear on top. Instantly she seized
his side in her huge jaws, sinking her
upper tusks deep into the muscles of
the back, while she was prevented from
doing the same with her lower ones,
and thus from biting a huge mouth
fnl out of his 81 le, by striking
against shot pouch, which hung by
cord from his shoulders. Jesse, wish.
ing to get her attention away from such
vital parts, kicked hef, and at the same
instant Bill, putting his rifeIclose to her
body back of the shoulder, fired. The
pain stung beast, surprising that the
cluse of her misery came from the
kick, seized Jesse's foot by the ankle
and began to chaw it up.
jesse then attempted to get his six
shooter, while Bill was loading. At
tracted by Jesse's movements, she
whC eled, and received another shot from
the rife. With wonderful quickuess,
she strI ok this, her other enemy, a clip
on the head, knocking him down, and a
fourth shot went crashing through her
body from the six-shooter discharged
by Jesse with his left hand. Instantly
she grabbed and bit through the left
arm, but perceiving Jesse moving his
head, which he did in order to give Bill
a chance to shoot her, without having
it in range, she opened her huge, blood
stained jaws, and took nearly his whole
head in her mouth, Jesse's eyes star
ing down her throat. The situation was
a desperate one, and something must be
done in the twiEkling of an eye. Bill
was equal to it, and ready. Placing the
muzzle of his rifle just back of her ear,
he fired. Springing back in her death
leap, she tore away part of Jesse's mp
per Jaw and piece of the scalp, five
inches wide by nine inches long. She
fell back upon Bills leg, who rolled her
off, and then took his knife and cut off
the piece of Jesse's jaw with the teeth
attached) which hung by a thread
trimmed the ragged portions of what
remained of the scalp, and was endeav-
oring to dress the wounded foot, when
the yearling bear appeared upon the
scene only a few feet away. 1t was the
WORK of an instant to seize the rifle and
send bullet through his head. When
the wounds had received all the care
possible, Jesse was helped to his feet
and attempted to walk. Finding it i'm
possible, the brOad-shouldered athlete
stopped and taking the man upon his
shoulders started awsy. Once only in
that long tramp of eight miles did he
stop to rest, wishing to reach camp be-
fore dark, and fearing that the wolves,
if they got scent OF the blood, might
give trouble. Arriving at camp, good
fortune favored them in finding there
another man who had come in durinr
the afternoon. Patching up their frier
with prepared plaster-a roll of which
hunters generally carry-they con-
structed "carriage" in the following
manner Lashing a pole on each side Of
a pony, secured to the pack-saddle-
while the other ends dragged on the
ground-they constructed basket of
plated deer skin thongs between the
poles, Just back of the animal, and in
this placed Jesse. This is the Indian
method of transporting their sick and
wounded. They at once set out for
Fort Bridger, travelling all that night,
stopping only to pour cold water upon
the painful wounds. Never did JESSE
lose his consciousness; no sign of
suffering, except very few grunts,