Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-05-12
Tom Wilson's Scarc.

Tom appeared, staggering under the weight
of ahne, fat doe, which was soon dressed, and
a portion Of IL brOiling over the Goals for our
supper This over, we threw ourselves upon
our blankets aud while enjoying the cheerful
light Of our camp fire, Tom related his tx
perience with the first grizzly he ever saw.
You see, when ! first came up TO this
country, didn't know much about it but
General Garland allowed was the man he
wanted 10 scout for him, aud so entered his
service. When he was travelling over the
country, | used to make it a pint to look
round considerable when in camp, so as 10
get acquainted with it like, because in my
business Teller had TO know il pretty mid
ding we'll
I'D heerd a good deal about grizzlies,
though rdnever seen one, for they don't have
EN- up in kentuca', where come from, or in
Texas either but when heerd old trappers
talkin' about 'em, and telhn' how savage and
strong they was, | always allowed that there
waru't no kind Of bar that was afeerd Of,
and | didn't know there was, either. You
see, didn't let 'em know that I'd never'd
seed one of the critters, for | made up my
mind that If ever come acrost one, I'D have
tussle with him, and he shouldn't get away
from me neither, though must confess that
| felt little skeery OF a crittcr that could
crunch a man or kill u buffalo as easy as /
could break an egg. STILL talked big, cause
talk is cheap, you know.
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 a
cuple wide, with the biggest oak trees grow
in in it that ever seed CROWN anywhere
some of EN- would measure twenty feet
I fhn ,l uaf1 hf,
reckoned they was more'n hundred years
old.
81 got tired of stayin' round camp and
doin' nothing, so walked down to where
the animals was feedin', and talked to the
herder for "a while, 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 get back After startin' on the back trail,
| happened to notice one tree that stood n
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. had
a stout stick in my hand, and as | came up
to the tree hit the trunk twoOr three blows,
to see if it was sound, you know. Then |
thought I'd see how big round it was, SO |
could tell the General how many steps 1t took
TO circumuayigate it. So | stuck my stick
into the ground for mark, and started.
When got about halfway round | hap
pened to look up, and III be blest II there
wasn't grizzly as big as an OK within two
feet of me, settin' on his launches, aud
watchin' me out Of hole in the stump of
the tree.
81 brought up pretty sudden, ! tell you,
and took one good look at him. lie looked
meek enough at the first glance. but in a
| jiffy he fixed his eyes on me, and his great
mouth, which was half-open, with his white
teeth, looked waterish like, as though it was
Just achiu' to get hold of me. | see him
kinder half raise one of his big paws, and
then | started heerd him give low,
wheezy kinder growl, as he started after Inc,
and didn't wait 10 hear any more. If ever
a Teller run, that Teller was Tom Wilson.
=" | reckon ! thought Of every story J. even
heerd about grizzlies; how savage they was
how they could beat a boss runnin', any time
The more | thought, the faster run, and
the palmer | could hear the bar, a-comiI
! after Inc.
4" | declare, never knowed it was in me tc
run so. | throwed off pretty nigh all the
clothes had on, and was dom Jest my Level
best, when suddenly tripped on somethin
or other, and went down. Then | knowed
twas all up with me for sartin, and expect
ed every minute u feel that bars paw on to
me.
4" ! remember how I'd heerd Nat Beal say
that if grizzly thought man was dead he'd
dig hole and bury him, without hurtin' him
any, and after day or two would come back
and dig him up. 40 ! laid still and held my
breth, watin' for the bar TO bury me.
81 could hear him diggin' the hole, and
though my eyes was shet, | cDuld see Jest how
he looked as he handled them paws Of his.
4" 1t seemed to me that laid there and held
my breath for nigh an hour expecting every
minute TO have the bar roll me into the hole.
After awhile | ventured to peek out, and,
would you believe it, there was no b'ar there
I" | Jest picked myself up mighty sudden,
and made tracks for camp and reckon if
ever Teller felt beat that Teller was me- then
and there.
1t was long time before said anything
about my scare in camp but, at last, | told
the General, and thought he'd split a-laugh-
in"
"Well, Tom,' said, he'"you must have been
pretty badly frightened"
Frightened Jest tell YOU sir, was
the worst scarf man this side Of the San Juan,
and didn't git over it neither in a hurry,
sure's you're born"
"What had become of the bear 2" asked |.
"Why, you see, he was asleep in that hole,
and when thumped on the tree with my
stick it woke him up. As nat'ral conse-
quence, his curiosity was riz, and he poked
his head out to see who was a-knockin' but,
added Tom, with a laugh, "befors he could
say come in was gon. I've always owed
grizzlies grudge since that scare"