The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-04-29
CHILDREN,S CORNER.


After an absence of about half an
hour, Tom appeared staggering under
the weight of q fine fat doe, which was
soon dressed, and portion of it broil-
ing over the GOALS for our supper. This
over, we threw ourselves upon our
blankets, and, while enjoying the cheer
full light of our camp fire, Tom related
his experience with the first grizzly he
ever saw. - 3, ' -,9 80 80 i.
$ You see, when first came up to this
country, [ didn't know much about it;
but General Garland allowed was the
man he wanted to scout for him, and so
I entered his service. When he was q
travelin' over the country, used to
make it a pint to look around consider
able when in camp, SO as to get &C
quianted with 1t like, because in my
business q fell II had to know it pretty
middling we'll 70 l-a.. Sc 50 s2ssf g
h Id heerd good deal about, griz-
lilies, though I'd never seed one, for
they don't have 'em up in Kentuck
where I come from, or. In Texas either:
but when I heerd old trappers talkin'
about 'em, and tellin, how savage and
strong they was, I always allowed that
there warn't no kind of bar that / was
afeerd Of, and { didn't know there was
either. You see, I didn't let 'em know
that I'd never seed one of the critters,
for I made up my mind that if ever I
come acrost one, I'd have tussel with
him, and he shouldn't get away from
me neither, though I must confess that
+ felt little skeery of critter that
could crunch man Or kill q buffalo as
easy as L could break an egg. Still,
I talked big, cause talk is cheap, you
know. .GE al4aH z4soe-
Well, one day we was to the north of
this-camped on the San Juan river.
The valley was eight or ten miles long,
and perhaps q couple wide, with the
biggest oak trees CROWN in it that I
ever seed CROWN anywhere; some of
'em would measure twenty feet round
the butts, and the General said he
reckoned they was morn'n a hundred
years old. a.s. ODDS. s.-.t.-., -...-
81 got tired of stayin' round camp
and dom nothin'; so walked down to
where the animals were feedin', and
talked to the herder awhile, and then
went on down the valley, lookin' at the
rocks and mountains and trees, till [ got
long ways from camp, and calculated
it would take me good hour to git
back. After startin' on the back trail,
Happened to notice one tree, which
stood little to one side of my track,
that looked SO much larger than the
Others that the idea came into my head
to just examine it. I hao "a stout oak
stick in my hand, and as Icame up to
the tree [ hit the trunk two or three
blows, to see if it was sound, you know.
Then I thought I see how big round it
was, 50 that [ could tell the General
how many steps it took to circumnavi-
gate it. So I stuck my stick in the
ground for mark and started. -
"When I got about halfway round, /
happened to look up, and I'll be blest
if there wasn't grizzly as big as an OK,
within two feet of me, settin' On his
launches and watchin' me out of hole
in the stump of that tree.
81 brought up pretty sudden, I tell
you, and took one good look at him.
He looked meek enough at first glance,
but in a jify he fixed his eyes on me,
and his great mouth, which was half
open, with his white teeth, looked wa
terish like, as though it was just achin
to git hold of me. / see him kinder
half raise one of his big paws, and then
[ started. I heerd him give a low,
wheezy kinder growl. as he started after
me, and [ didn't wait to hear any more.
IF ever TELLER run, that teller was Tom
Wilson.
reckon I thought of every story I'd
ever heered about grizzlies; how savage
they was; how they could beat boss
runnin any time. TIL, more thought,
the faster I run, and the palmer could
hear The bar a. comm after me.
I declare [ never knowed it was in me
to run SO. [ throwed off pretty nigh all
the clothes I had on, and was dom jest
my level best, when suddenly I tripped
on sonnet in or other, and went down.
Then [ knowed twas all up with me fo1
startin, and | expected every minute to
feel that b ar's paw ON to me.
I remembered how I'd heered Nat
Beal say, that if a. grizzly thought a
man was dead, he'd dig a hole and bury
him, without hurtin' him any, and after
q day or two would come back, and dig
him up. So I laid still and held my
breath, waitin' for the bar to bury me.
I [ could hear him diggin' the hole,
and, though my eyes was shet, I could
see jest how he looked, as he handled
them paws of his.
| It seemed to me that I laid there and
held my breath for nigh an hour, ex-
roll me into the hole. After awhile ]
ventured to peek out, and, would you
believe it, there want no bar there!
[ jest picked myself up mighty sud-
den, and made tracks for camp, and I
reckon if ever teller felt beat that fell
Ter was me, then and there.
1t was long time before I said any
thing about my scare in camp; but, at
last, told the General, and I thought
he'd split a laughin'.
have been pretty badly frightened"
Frightened! [ jest tell you, sir, I
was the worst scarf man this side of the
San Juan, and did MT git over it neith-
er in a hurry, sure s you re born.
"What had become of the bear ~
asked I.
"Why, you see, he was asleep in that
hole, and when I thumped on the tree
with my stick it woke him up. Asa nat
raj consequence, his curiosity was rig,
and he poked his head out to see who
was a-knockin'; but, !" added Tom, with
a laugh, !" before he could say come
in, I was gone. I've always owed griz-
zlies grudge since that scare. - 81
IT
a The Sand Blast.
In regard to the art Of cutting and