Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-04-30
Tom Wilson's Scare.

| AAtCA al 6USeuCo Vi 6UOut U8iI du llOu
Tom appeared staggering under the weigh
off fine fat doe, which was soon dressed
and portion of 1t broilina over the coal
for our supper. THIS over, we threw our
selves upon our blankets, and, while en-
joying the cheerful light of our camp fire
Tom related his experience with the frs
grizzly be ever saw. ~.
"You see. when I frat came up to thu
oeautrys I didn't I know much about Il; bul
GenefaI Oo.s.s'.sa ~s.---a wos the var
be wanted 10 scout for him, and SO ! en-
tered his earvicc. When he was a-travcl
in over the country, l used to make it
pint to look round considerable when in
camp, SO as 10 get acquainted with 1t like,
because in my business fellcr had to
know it pretty middling we'll
"I'd heerd a good deal about grizzlies,
though I'd meyer seed one, for they don 7
haye 'em up in Kentuck,, where come
from, or in Texas either; but when
heerd old trapEcrs talkin' about 'em, and
tcllin' how savage and strong they was,
always allowed that there warn't no kind
of bar that was afeerd of, and didn''
know there was either. You see, didn'l
let 'em know that I'd ncver'd seed one o!
the critters. for I'd made up my mind that
If ever l come acrost pne, I'd have tusslt
with him, and he shouldn't get away from
me neither, though must confess that
felt little skcery of critter that could
crunch man or kill a buffalo as easy as
could break an egg. Still. talked big
cause talk is cheap, you know.
"Wcll, one day we was to the north OF
on the San Juan River. Tho
valley was eight or ten miles long, and
perhaps couple wide, with the biggest
oak trees growin' in it that / ever seed
CROWN anywhere; some of 'cm would
measure twenty feet round the butts, and
the General said he rcckoned they was
morn hundred years old.
II got tired of stayin' round camp and
doin' nothin'; so I walked down to where
the animals was feeGin', and talked to tht
hcrder awhile, and then went on down tht
valley looking at ting rocks and mountain:
and trees, till got long ways from camp
and calculated it would take me a goot
hour to git back. After startin' on TIT
back trail, l happened TO notice one tree
which stood little to one side of my track
that looked 50 much larger than the others
that the idea came into my head to just ex
anime it. had stout oak stick in my
hand, and as came up to the tree hi
ths ss tEgnk Ioha yS you 1f khoW hySe bo
Id see how big round it was. so that
could tell the General how many steps
took to circumnavigate 1t. So stuck m!
stick IN the ground for mark, and star,
ed.
"Whcn I got about half way r'und,
to leok up, and III be blcst j
there wasn't grizzly as big as an OK with
in two feet of me, a-settin' on his haunch
es, and watchin' me out of hole in tn
stump of that tree.
II brought up pretty sudden, tell you
and took one good look at him. He look
ed meek enough at first glance, but in
|jiffy he fixed his eyes on me, and his grea
mouth, which was half open, with hi
white teeth, looked waterish like, a
though it was just achin' to git hold o
me. see him kind er half raise one o
his big paws, and then l started. hecr,
him give low, wheezy Kind er growl, a
he started after INC, and I didn't wait t
hear any more. If ever fellcr run, tina
feller was Tom Wilson.
II reckon l thought of every story II
ever heerd about grizzlies; how savag
they IVES; how they could beat hoss rur
nin' any time. The more thought. til
faster / run, and the palmer l could hea
the bar a-comin' after me.
II declare never knowed it was in m
to run so. throwed off pretty nigh al
the clothes I had on, and was doin' jes
my level best when suddenly trlpped OF
somethin' or other. and went down. Thel
knowed twas all up with me for sartin
and l expected every minute to feel tina
bars paws onto me.
II remembered how I'd heerd Nat Eea
say that if grizzly thought a man wa
dead. he'd dig hole and bury him with
out hurtin' him any, and after day O.
two would come back and dig HIM up
So l laid still and held my breath, waitin
for the bar 10 bury me.
II could hear him diggin' the hole, and
though my eyes was she::, could see jes
how he looked as he handled fi.s" paw'
of his.
ut seemed to me that laid there ani
held my breath for nigh nm hour, expect
ing every minute 10 have the bar roll mi
into the hole. After awhile l ycnturci
to peek out, and would you believe it
there want no bar there!
II jest picked myself up mighty sudden
and made tracks for camp, and ] reckon i
ever feller felt beat that feller was me
then and there.
ssIt was long time before said any
thing about nv scare in camp; but, at last
told the General, and thought he't
split a-laughin,.
"Well, Tom, said l, "you must hav'
been pretty badly frightened.
Enlightened: jest tell you, sir, ! wa
the worst scar: man this side of San Juan
and didn't git oyer It neither in hurry
sure's you're born"
"What had become Of the bear!' asket
II.
why, you see. he was asleep in tha
hole, aud when thumped on the ire
with my stick it woke him up. Az . mai
|ural consequence, his curiosity was rlz, an
|he poked his head out to zee who was .
Iknockin; but, )" added Tom with laugh
|..beforc he conld say ''come in" wa
|gone I've always owed grizzlies grudg
lsince that scare. st Nicholas for April
We are In the ycstibule of life's grcs
itemple- not tarry }Ohg. Let Us c&lch an