The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-05-06
RAW BEAR MEAT.
A Badly Wounded Man Lives Two
Months on it.

crow flies, is a little mountain vale known
as Gravelly Valley. In the summer sea-
son it is beautiful spot green and lux
uriant, but it is showed in during most
of the winter. In February last, two
hunters, named M III. Robinson and
David Knox, were In the neighborhood
looking for game. At night they camp
ed in small cabin, which had been used
in former years by sheep-herders. Dur
ing the day they explored the surround
ing mountains, looking for bear and
deer. They succeeded In killing large
cinnamon bear, which they dragged to
! the hut. The steaks cut from its quar-
ters served as an agreeable change from
their usual diet of cured bacon and jerk
ed vension. On the morning of the 18th
| OF Feb, when twelve miles from camp,
| Robinson, in getting on his horse acci-
dently discharged his gun, and the ball,
an ounce in weight, passed through his
right heel,
| SCATTERING IT TO FRAGMENTS.
His companion enveloped the wound
in snow and tied it up in piece of sad
dle-blanket, ard they started immediate
| ly for the cabin. Upon their arrival
| Knox So at once that it was necessary
to go Tor physician. Robinson was
weak from loss of blood, was utterly un
| able to ride to the nearest settlement, a
distance of forty miles, and the nature
of his injury was such that he must
surely die unless medical assistance was
| procured It was probable that 1t
would be judged necessary to amputate
the limb to save his life. They were
sworn friends; and Knox, after placing
| the wounded man in a bunk, covering
him with blanket and leaving him two
days' provisions bade him be Of good
| cheer until his return. He rode all that
night through binding storm, which
set in soon after his departure, and ar
irving in Lake Valley soon after day
| light. The road passed over high
range Of mountains which separates the
two valleys. There was no cessation III
the storm, but having procured the as
sistance of physician who was well
known 20 Robinson, they started to re-
turn. AS they ascended the steep side
of the mountain the determined men
soon f9und that 1t was impossible to
procee further The snow was already
fonr I've feel deep, and was accumu-
iat@as ~ great dlfts. Half dozen
times their horses
FELL INTO DEEP RAyINEs,
| from which they were extricated with
difficulty. and they were at last compell-
ed to turn mournfully back for their
own preservation The regrets they
felt at Robinson S fate were of no avail,
but all through the winter his untimely
| end was discussed by his friends around
their firesides. About ten days ago,
when the snow was pretty well off the
ground, party of men thought it their
duty to 90 over into the deserted valley to
bury his body. They had also some
curiosity to see whether he had left any
account in writing OF his approaching
| decease. and ascertain whether he sup
| posed he had been abandoned without
cause. He was boon companion, liked
by everybody, and had host OF friends.
| They crossed the mountain and came III
sight of the spot where the disaster had
occurred, nearly two months before,
with mournful feelings. They arrived
| at the door of the cabin and were al1ght-
ing from their horses when voice with
in was heard joyfully to exclalm "Well,
| have you fellows got here at last?' and
Robinson came limping out upon pair
of crutches. The amazement OF the
/ party may be imagined. Noticing their
surprise he said: ''You all thought [
was dead, did you2 [ am not, but am as
well as I ever was in my life, except
this leg" And SO it proved. He was
aware that the storm which set in upon
Knox's departure would prevent his re-
| turn, and at once set to work to make
| the best of the situation. He kept his
wound dressed with snow, and when his
ready provisions were exhausted drag
! ged himself to the carcass of the bear,
at the door of the cabin, and cut of a
slice with his butcher knife.
RAW BEAR MEAT
and water from a mountain stream,
which ran near by, was all the sustenance
| he had for over seven weeks. This
meager diet no doubt kept his foot from
| Notifying. The fever subsidized, the
inflammation went down, and it soon be
gan to heal With wire which he tore
off an old broom he probed the wound
and drew out several pieces of the bone.
| He then made a pair of crutches and
was able to get about without difficulty
He is a man Of intelligence, but the
only thing in the nature Of literary mat
ter he had was the half of an old New
| York Tribune, which as he lay upon his
couch during his isolation, he perused
| Until he said he believed he could repeat
evezy word it contained, advertisements
and all. He considers the snowstorm
lucky thing, as his leg would probably
have been amputated had the physician
arrived. Upon his return to Lake Val
lev he was welcomed as one come back
from the dead, and the affair is the great
theme of conversation throughout the
I Il