The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-10-24
s II llGsEan,l i yntelligeneerI,
MONARCH OF THE sIERRAs.
a Man and n Rear Conflict, I'm Which the
Man Conquers.

On InurSuay OF last week, A1f. Nathan
Rogers, who owns aud lives upon q
rancho in the mountains, about a mile
above West Point, near the Moth Fork
of the Mokelumne, had the most terrific
encounter with a grizzly bear we ever
read OF. The details Of the occurrence,
az narrated 70 re, &c substantially 40 iu-
lows: Gray squirrels are quite numerous
in that vicinity this season, and after din
ner Thursday, Mr.. Rogers went out for
an afternoons spoi. shooting them. He
was armed with light rife, and fortu-
nately had upon his person large knife
which he occasionally carries. Grizzlies
are no strangers in the vicinity, and
Rogers had frequently seen their tracks
while hunting his stock; but Us it is yet
too early for ravenous beasts to be driven
out of the higher mountain ranges by
the snow, he felt no apprehension from
that source. Mr.. Rogers proceeded
leisurely along, meeting with such good
success in cunning that by o'clock his
game sack was well filled. and as he was
a couple of miles from home, determined
to retrace his steps. In leaving the tim
bered ridge upon which he had been
shooting, Rogers had 10 cross a patch of
comparatively open country, the only
furze and an occasional bunch of chapar-
raj. He had gone but short distance,
when, in descending into little blind
feeding upon the carcass Of q sheep. It
is needless to add he did not proceed any
further in that direction. The bear was
not over 20 feet distant-a space Rogers
had not the remotest desire to diminish.
Man ana beast discovered each others
presence at the same moment. Rogers
is res0lute man, splendid marksman
and we'll Injured to the dangers and ex-
perience of backwoods life; but, rs with
full knowledge of the characteristics Of
the ferocious animal facing him, he re-
allied mis- situation, hope died away in
his breast. For moment he stocd
irresolute. His first impulse WAS to run
but his better judgment told him if he
did so, and should be pursued by the
grizzly, escape would be impossible. and
he would be taken at q disadvantage in
the struggle 1hich must inevitably fol-
low. Dreadful as was the alternative of
facing his terrible enemy, it was his only
hope, and Rogers firmly resolved to
stand his ground, and if the worst came
to the worst, to ut least sell his life as
dearly as possible. There was chance
that the grizzly might not attack him if
he retained bold attitude, but whatever
hopes Rogers builded upon that founda-
tion were speedily dispeIled by the bear
giving low growl, dropping his mutton
and advancing toward him.
The hunters heart lcaped to his throat
as the threatened struggle became an un-
avoi1able certainty, and tho agonizing
thought that its result might leave his
wife widow and his children fatherlcss
nearly unnamed him. The weakness
was but momentary, and then, With
every muscle aud nerve in his body
drawn to its utmost tension, the man
awaited she onset Of the beast with ns
much GOODNESS rs though his life was not
at stake in the unequal contest. AS the
grizzly slowly came toward him and had
got within distance of about fifteen
steps: Rogers threw his rife to his s!.o.i
der, and with steady aim, planted q
bullet in the bears breast, Just inside the
point Of the right shoulder The animal
was hit hard, but no sixty to the pound
bullet ever stopped q grizzly. With Il
growl 80 ferocious that it resen,hied q
roar, the infuriated animal rushed for.
ward to the attack. Throwing aside the
now useless rifle, and drawing his knife
Rogers braced himself for the death
struggle. AS the shaggy monster reared
upon its launches, It's great, black, con.
vex head towering two feet above Rogers
the ter invoIuntarily threw up his left
arm like q pugilist on guard. The beal
seized the arm in its mouth, and throw
ing its great paws over the shoulders oil
the hunter. hngged him in an embrace
so cruel that his eyes seemed startint
from their sockets, and the blood gushett
from his nostrils. Rogers right arm wa
free, and he drove the long blade Of hi.
knife to the hilt in the side of the grizzly
close to the shoulder. The blade eachec
vital point, inficting u fatai wound
but its immediate effect was only to in
crease the grizzly's ferocity. It Rugged
Rogers the closer, its long, sharp, chisel
pointed claws tearing gaping wounds il
the unfortunate aaan's back, while with
q sickening sound the bones of his left
arm were crunched and ground to pow.
der in the vise.like jaws of his terrible
Antagonist 9as. Wild with the agonies 9;
his wounds, Rogers piled his knife with
the energy of desperation, driving it
again and again into the yitals of the
/ bear, literally carving it alive, while the
latter, with claws and teeth, lacersted it,
human foe in the most frightful manner
It was, indeed, struggle to death
Rogers, weak from the loss Of blood, and
half delirious from pain, now tough,
+ mo-e from intuition than anything else
having only vague consciousness thai
his life depended upon putting an end to
s that of the bear. The terrible wounds
of the grizzly were also commencing to
tell upon its vitality. Rogers senses
were not SO dulled but that he could dis.
tinguish that the grizzly was gradually
relaxing its hold, and the raw of hone
the knowledge afforded him stimulated
him to renewed exertions with his knife.
The bear endeavored to support itself de.
spite Sta cruel wounds, yage:ina. for az,
instant, aud then, with low moan that
sounded almost human in its expression
g OF pain aud despair, the huge monster
! toppled over, dragging the man with it,
the latter falling partially underneath.
Summoning oil his remaining strength.
Rogers plunged his knife into the griz.
zly's abdomen, the hot life blood and
yiscera s4outing full in his face. The
bear relinquished its hold, and Rogers.
torn, lacerated, and bleeding, crawled far
enough away to escape being rent to
pieces by tho terrible death struggle of
the grizzly. Although victorious, Rog-
ers' condition was critical in the extrome.
He was mile and q half away from
home, SO weak and faint he could scarce
q ~ STAND, and i'll danger of bleeding to
death before he could rasck help. His
left arm hung crushed and litrless at his
side, his left. scapula and claSicle were
broken, the blood trickled from sha tar-
ribie wounds ia his back, and his legs
we're iitAratIv fI1rrotypd hv fba crcrl.o,l