Sharp County record., 1878-01-25
A Hunters adventure With a Bear.

There are on the foothills in Gunni-
son County, at this season of the year,
great numbers of deer and elk, with
many mountain-lions and bear. VIM.
Yule and brother left Mr.. Preston's
ranch on the Gunnison, few days ago,
to hunt for deer and elk. A wagon
drawn by two animals, guns, ammuni-
ton and provisions completed their out
fit. They travelled all day and reached
the hills about nightfall and encamped.
Seeing the next morning a good deal Of
signs of game, they concluded to remain
at least one day and try their luck
Early in the morning they started in
different directions, with guns, powder
and ball, of course. After going about
five miles from. camp and seeing no
game, William Yule concluded to re-
turn. He had proceeded but a short
distance before he heard, as he thought,
the rustling Of the dry leaves, Looking
up, he saw only about 80 yards from
him a huge bear coming directly toward
him, with mouth open, growing and
giving other evidences of a thirst for
blood. Yule waited until the brute
came within few PAGES of him, when
he took deliberate aim, but unfortunate
ly his gun missed Gre
The ferodi0ug DgIst ran directly
against the hunter, knocking him down,
and as quick as thought Yule turned
over on his face and felgned to be dead.
The bear bit him severely in four places,
disabling one arm and one leg. After the
lapse of a few minutes, neither feeling
nor hearing the beast, Yule cautiously
raised his head, and saw his antagonist
about thirty yards off, apparently COW
ering up something with grass. Seeing
q tree near him, he made up his mind
to reach it and get up it if possible, even
though seriously wounded. So off he
crawled through the snow, keeping an
eye attentively on the bear and the Tree
Reaching the tree, he started to climb it,
and the bear started from his retreat di-
rectly toward him, growing and gnash-
ing his teeth. He soon reached the
tree. Yule had gone up only a few feet
just high enough for his own safety,
but not too high for the bottoms Of his
feet to be touched by the nose of the
beast He again attempted to use his
gun, but in vain The animal whined,
growled, anu gnawed at the tree. After
a while he returned to what appeared to
be a large pile OF grass, and commenced
again to work as though he was conceal
ing something,
Tule, though suffering much from cold
and his wounds, resolved to make last
effort to save his life SO descending
cautiously to the ground while the bear
was at work, he crawled few steps till
he got low, bushy tree between him
self and the bear, watching the animal
closely in the meantime. He could not
travel more than hundred yards at a
time without resting. At last he reached
the camp, completely exhausted.
The next daj Col. Cashton, James
Preston, P. 7. Stevens, and John M.
Smith armed themselves and went to
the scene of the fight, and when within
80 or 40 yards of large pile of straw,
they saw a large bear emerge therefrom
and make toward them, evidently with
the intention of fight, but he did not
proceed far before he fell, pierced with
ten balls. He weighed 800 pounds
gross, and was neither grizzly nor
cinnamon, but a cross between the two,
called silver-tlp or range bear-a ma
lignant and ferocious beast. Covered
MP in his bed was found a large dead
deer, which it was supposed mountain
lion had killed and the bear had stolen.
Cor. Denver NelC5.