The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1875-05-08
Tom Wilson's Scare.

tic Goals Tor our supper. This over, we
threw ourselves upon our blankets, and
while enjoying the cheerful light Of our
camp fire, Tom related his experience
with the first grizzly he ever saw. rs
."ToG see, when first came up to this
country, did..'t know much about il
but General Garland allowed was the
man hc wanted to scout for him, and SO
cuterGd his sarvice. When he was n
travclin' over the ccuntry,I ! used 10 make
il pint TO look round considerable when
IN camp, 30 rs to get acquainted with il
like, because ia .my business Fellow had
10 know il pretty niddiin.s well.
nd hccrd II good deal about grizzlfce,'
though I'd never seed one, for. they don't
have 'cm up in Kcnturk', where l come
from, or in Texas either; and when
hccrd old trappcrs talkin' about 'cm and
tcllin' how savage and strong they was, |
always allowed that they war'nt,nu kind
Of II bar that l WIS afcerd OF, and didn't
know there was either. You see, I didn't
let 'cm know that I'd never seed one of
the critters, for made up my mind that
II ever come acr0st one, I'd have tus-
sic with him, and lie shouldn't get away
from me neither, though must confess
that felt little skccry of critter that
could crunch man or kill q buffalo as
easy as | could break an egg. Still /
talked big, cause talk Is cheap, you
know. ......
"Well, one day we was to tho north Of
this,-cnmpcd on tho San Juan River
The valley was eight ur ten miles long,
and perhaps II couple wide, with the big
glst oak-trccs GROWN in il that ever
seed CROWN anywhcre; some of 'em
would measure twenty feet round the
butts, and the Geaeral said hc rcckGncd
they was morn hundred years old. ,t..
81 got tired al stayin' round camp and
dom notlin'; 50 walked down to where
the animals was fccdin' and talked To- the
hcrder mwhic, and then went 0D dn.SG
the valley, lOokin' ut the rocks Gft
mountains and trees, till got long
ways from camp, ard calculated il wuntI
take mc good hour Ia git back, After
3thrt;n' On the pack irdii, I hNppcncd e,
notice one tree, which stood /. little 10
one side of my truck, that looked SO
much larger than the Others, that the
idea came into my head to just examine
il. l had stout oak stick in my hand,
and as | came up to tho tree l hit the
trunk two OF three blows, to see If it was
sound, you know. Then l thought I'd
see how big round it was, so that could
tell the General how many steps it took
To circumnayigate il. SO stuck my
stick III the ground and started.
"Whcn got about halfway round,
happened Ia look up, and blcst if there
wasn't grizzly as big rs IN OK, within
two feet Of me, .-Gcttin' on his launches,
and a-wntChin' me out of hole in the
stump Of that tree.
Il brought up pretty sudden, tell
you, and took one good look Mt him. He
looked meek enough ut first glance, but
in a jiiry hc fixed his eyes on Inc, and his
great mouth, which was half-Open, with
his white teeth, looked walcrish like, a.
though it was just nchin' to git hold Of
me. I see him kind or half raise one of
his big paws, and then started. hcerd
him give IL low, wheczy kind or gr0wl,
as he started after me, and didn't wait to
hear any more. If ever fellow run,
that fellow WAS Tom Wilson.
~ reckon thought of every story I'd
ever hccrd about grizzlies; how savage
they was; how they could bent h1ss
runnin' any time. The more | thought,
the faster | ruH, and the palmer | cOuiG
| hear the. bar a-cOmin' after HE.
!
10 run 80. throwcd OIL p.ctiy nigh aiI
the Clothes had on, ami was doim' .igs,
my level hest, when Suddenly tEippcd
on something ur other, aud went down.
Then | kDowcd twas all up with III"
for sartin, and expected every minute
to feel that bars paw OH to inc.
~ remembered how / hccrd Nat BGal
say, that if grizzly thought man
was dcnd, he'd dig hole and bury him,
without hurtin' him any, and after day
or two would come back and dig him up.
So ] laid still and held my breath, wait
in for tho bar to bury me.
at seemed to me thnt laid there and
held my breath for nigh an hour, expect
ing every minute To- have tho bar roll ne
into the hole. After awhile | venturcd to
peck out, and would you believe it there
want no bar thcrci .s........
81 Jest picked mysclfup mighty sudden,
and made tracks for camp, aud reckon
if ever feller felt beat that fcilcr wa,
Inc then md there. ..'r .
at was long time before said any.
thing abont my scare in the camp; but, n
last, told the General, and l thought
he'd split u.lauyhin'.'
"Wcll, Tom, said l. "you must lavt
been pretty bmdIy frightened"
"Frigh,cDcd! jest tell you, sir, wa
the worst scarf man this side Of the Snl
Juan, and | didn't get over it neither IN ;
hurry, surc's you're born"
"Whnt hnd become Of the bChri'
asked [.
"Why, you sec, hn was asircpiu thr
hole, and wli"n thunprd un the irc
| with my stick IL woke him M AZ