The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-10-31
Terrible Fight with q Grizzly Bear,

Terrible Fight with q Grizzly Bear.
ON Thursday of last week Mr.. Nath-
an Rogers, who lives upon ranch in
the mountains above West Point, had
the most terrific encounter with a griz-
Fly we ever heard Of. Gray squirrels
are quite plenty there this season, and
after dinner Mr.. Rogers went out for
with light rifle, and fortunately had
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 as it is yet too early for raw
cnous beasts to be driven out of the
higher mountain ranges by the snow,
he felt no apprehensions from that
source.
In leaving a timbered ridge upon
which he had been shooting, Rogers
had to cross a patch of comparatively
open country. He had gone but
short distance when, in descending in
to a little blind ravine, he came upon
huge grizzly feeding on the carcass
of a sheep. The bear was not over
ers had not the rcmOtest desire to
diminish. Man and beast discovered
each others presence at the same in
slant. Rogers is a resolute man, a
splendid marksman, and well Injured
to the dangers of backwoods life; but,
with full knowledge of the character
istics of the ferocious animal facing
him, hope died away in his breast.
His first impulse was to run; but his
better judgment told him that if he did
SO, and should be pursued by the griz-
Fly, escape would be impossible. There
was a chance that the grizzly might
not attack him if he retained u bold at
titude, but this was dispelled by the
bear giving low growl, dropping his
mutton and advancing toward him.
When the grizzly had got within about
fifteen feet of him, Rogers threw his
rifle to his shoulder, and, with steady
aim planteda 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 a
grizzly. With growl, so ferocious
that it resembled a roar, the Infatuated
animal rushed forward 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, its great, black, convex head
towering two feet above Rogers, the
latter involuntarily threw up his left
arm like a pugilist on guard. The
bear seized the arm in its mouth and,
throwing its great paws over the Shout
ders of the hunter, Rugged him in an
embrace so cruel that his eyes seemed
starting from their sockets and the
blood gushed from his nostrils. Rog-
ers' right arm was free, and he drove
the blade of his knife to the hilt in the
side of the grizzly close to the Shout
der. The blade reached vital point,
but its immediate effect was only to
increase the grizzly's ferocity. 1t
Rugged Rogers the closer. its long,
sharp. chisel-pointed claws tearing
gaping wounds in the unfortunate
mans back, while the bones of his left
arm were ground to powder in the
vise-like jaws of his terrible antagonist.
Rogers piled his knife with the energy
of desperation, driving it again and
again in the vitals of the bear, literally
carving it alive, while the latter, with
claws and teeth, lacerated its human
foe in the most frightful manner. The
terrible wounds of the grizzly were
commencing to tell upon its vitality.
Rogers senses were not so dulled but
that he could distinguish that the
grizzly was gradually relaxing its
hold, and the ray of hope the knowi-
edge afforded stimulated him to
renewed exertions with his knife.
The bear endeavored to support itself,
despite its cruel wounds, wavered
for an instant, and then, with low
moan, the huge monster topplcd over,
dragging the man with it, the latter
falling partly underneath. Summon
ing ali his remaining strength, Rogers
plunged his knife into the grizzly's alb
domen, the hot life blood and viscera
spouting full in his face. The bear re-
linquished its hold, and Rogers, torn,
lacerated and bleeding, crawled far
enough away to escape being rent to
pieces by the terrible death-struggle of
the grizzly.
Although victorious, Rogers condi-
ton was critical in the extreme. He
was mile and half from home, SO
weak and faint he could scarcely stand,
and in danger of bleeding to death be-
fore he could reach help. Conscious
that he must soon have help or perish,
he summoned all his resolution and
staggered along in the direction of
home, more dead than alive, a trail of
blood marking his footsteps. He man
aged to reach a spring, in sight OF his
house, when his endurance at last gave
way, and he fell in dead faint by the
waters edge. Fortunatelyh he was soon
after discovered by his son. a lad of
some twelve years, who immediately
gave the alarm. Rogers was taken
home and his wounds temporarily
dressed, an express, in the meantime,
being sent for physician.
The grizzly was the largest ever
known to have been killed in the coun-
ty. 1t measured nine feet in length,
lover ALL" and weighed !, 400 pounds.
The left side of the bear was literally
torn r., ,,ipcos there heinD no less than