Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-04-15
An Adventure with a Grizzly.
BY SAMUEL wooDwoRrH cozzENs.
From st. Nicholas.l

/ sTalkin' of grizzlies, here's the track
of one,' said Tom Wilson, suddenly
refining in his horse short distance in
advance ofme. After moments ex-
animation of the huge impression, be
continued: ITS pretty fresh one, too;
the feller can't be great way off. This
is just the kind of a place for 'em.'
| Are there grizzlies in these noun.
tains, Toni? asked I, doubtingly.
Yes, sir; the fust one / ever seed
was in this very range, and he jest
about scarf me to death, that's sartin,
replied Tom. 7& -
'That'll be good story this evening,
Tom, after we get into camp said l,
] regarding the great track with no little
curiosity, for was still in doubt about
its being that of a grizzly. Are you
sure it isn't the track of cinnamon
bear?'
Yes, sir. There's no mistakin' the
print of grizzly's FOOT replied Tom.
And here,' continued he. AS he fol-
lowed the trail a short distance, is
where he sot down. / wouldn't think
strange if we see one afore long; this is
the sort of country they like
4 wonder,' said 1, as we again noun
ted our horses-'I wonder if these fel-
lows are as savage as those found fur
ther north?'
Well, bars is like men. Once in
while you ruu against a cross-grain-
ed, ugly feller that had rather fight
than not; then you may look out for
trouble. Ag'n, you find one that'll git
out of the way if he can. Tve seen a
she BAR desert her subs and take to
the woods; then, ag'in, I've seen them
that would fight every inch of the
ground for mile afore they'd give up,
and that, too, after they'd got half.a-
dozen balls in them. Bars is sich Curl
Gus critters, that I've very often tho't
they had Il heap of sense. If bars
been travlin aginst the wind, and
wants to lie down, he alwuz turns in
an opposite direction, and goes long
distance from his fust track afore he
makes his bed; then he can scent q
hunter if one gifts on his trail, for
bars have got mighty keen smeIlers.
once found a big grizzy in cave in
these very mountains, and built fire
inside the mouth of it to smoke him
out; and I'll be blest if that 'ere bar
didn't come out three times, and put
the fire out with his paws, and then go
back into the cave again. He didn't
seem to lind my shoo;in at him no
more'n if the bullets had been peas.
After awhile killed him, and then
had the curiosity to See how many
balls the old feiler had i'm his carcass,
and Pll be blest if didn't find nine.
Il reckon we shant find any better
place to camp tonight than this 'ere.
You see, there's plenty of wood, water
and grass-so We'll just stop here
Dismounting from our animals, they
were soon enjoying the luxuriant grass
that grow around US, while Tom COM
menced preparations for our supper.
In gathering wood for his fire, his keen
eye detected herd of deer i'm the dis
tance, and, seizing his rifle, he sailed
out for one, leaving me alone to guard
the camp.
During his absence. let me briefly tell
sou about Tom, and what we were do
ing in this wilderness.
1t had long been favorite theory of
mine that the Sierra Madre range,
which intersects the Territory of New
Mexico, contained large deposits of sill
yer and gold, as extensive as those
found In Nevada on the north. or in
Mexico on the south; and the recent ar