West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-07-12
Graphing n Grizzly.

Mr. Rogers recently went squirrel hun
ting near Calaveras, California. In his
walk nc came upon a monster grizzly bear
When discovered the bear was not over
twenty feet d6stant--a space that Rogers
had not the remotest desire To diminish
Man and beast discovered each others pre-
sence at the same instance Rogers Is a re
solute man. a splendid marksman and well
Injured TO the dangers and experiences of
backwoOds life; but as with full know
| ledge of the characteristics of the feroCious
animal facing him. he realized his situation.
hope died away in his breast For mo-
mert he stood irresolute His first impulse
was To run; but his better Judgment told
him that if he did so, and should be pursued
! by the griZzle, escape would be impossible
and that he would Toe taken at n disadvan-
tage m the struggle which must invitably
follow. Dreadful as was the alternative of
facing his terrible enemy, it was his only
hope, and Rogers firmly resolved to stand
ms ground, and if the worst come To the
worst, TO at 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 foundation were speedily
dispclled 10y the bear giving a low gruwl,
dropping his mutton and advancing toward
throat as the threatened struggle became
an unavoidable certainty. and the agonizing
thought that its result might leave his wife
| "A widow and his children fatherless nearly
unnamed him The weakness was but
momentary, and then with every muscle
and nerve IN his body drawn To their ut
most tension, the man, awaited the onset of
the beast with as much coolness as though
his life were not at stake in the UNEQUAL
contest. AS the grizzly slowly came to-
wards him and had got within a distance of
about fifteen steps, Rogers drew his rifle to
his shoulder, and with "A steady aim planted
bullet in the bears breast, Just inside the
point of the right shoulder. The animal
was hit hard, but no siXjy-to the pound
bullet ever stopped grizzly. 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 Ro-
gers the latter involuntary threw up his
left arm like IA pugilist on guard The bear
seized the arm in its MONTH and throwing
ts great paws over the shoulders of the
hunter, hugged him in an embrace 40
cruel that his eyes seemed starting from
their sockets, and the blood gushcd from
his nostriis. Rogers right arm was free
and he drove the long, keen blade of hiss
knife To the hilt in the side of the grizzly
close TO the shoulder. The blade reached a
vital point, intlcting fatal wound, but its
! immediate effect was only to Increase the
! grizzly's ferocity II huggcd Rogers the
closer, its long, sharp, chsel- pointed claws.
! Tearing gaping wounds in the unfortunate
! man back, while with sickening sound the
bones of the left arm were crunched and
| ground 10 powder in the wise like laws of
his terrible antagonist. Wild with the ago
mics OF his wounds, Rogers piled his knife
with the energy of desperation, driving it
/ again into the vitals of the bear, literally
carving it alive, while the latter with claws
and teeth lacerated It's human foe I'm the
most frightful manner Ii was, inded. a
struggle to the death. Rogers, weak from
the loss of blood and half delirious from
| pain, now fought more intuition than any
! thing else, having only vague conscious
ness that his life depended upon putting an
4 end TO that Of the bear. The terrible
! wounds Of the grizzly were also commenc-
fling 10 teliupon It's vitality Rogers senses
were not go dulled hut that ne could tiistin-
! guish that the grizzly was gradually relax
| ing its hold, and the ray OF hope the know
! ledge afforded stimulated him to renewed
exertions with his knife. The bear endea-
| vohng TO support itself despite its cruel
wounds, wavered for AN instant and then
| with low moan that sounded almost hu-
man In its expression Of pain and dispair,
The huge monster toppled over, dragging
the man with it, the latter falling partially
underneath. SummoniEg all his remaining
/ strength, Rogers plunged his knife into the
! griZZly's abdomen, the hot life blood and
viscera spouting full in his face. The bear
| 10 hflH
lacerated and blecCing, crawled far enough
away 10 escape being rent TO pieces by the
terrible death struggle Of the grizzly. Al
though victorious Rogers condition was
! critical in the extreme. He was y mile and
a half away from home, 80 weak and faint
that he could scarcely stand and in danger
of bleeding 10 death before he could Teacf
help. Ills left arm hung crushed and lifcless
at his side, his left scspua and clayiclc were
broken, the blood trickled from the terrible
wounds in his back, and his legs were lite
rally furrOwed by the crooked claws Of the
bears hind feet.s Conscious that he must
soon have help or perish, he summoned all
bis resolution and staggered along ina the
direction of home, more dead thar alive, "a
trail Of blood marking his footsteps. lie
managed 10 reach u spring In sight of his
house, when his endurance mt last gave
| way, anu nc leh w dtdu idlnt Dy the
waters edge Fortunately he was soon
after discovered by his son, lad of some
twelve years who Immediately gave the
alarm. Rogers was taken home and his
wounds temporarily dressed His left
arm, literally manglcd and torn 90 shreds,
has been amputaled at the shoulder. His
left clavicle and scapula were fractured,
and the three lower ribs on the right side
broken. The flesh and muscles ON his back
arc 40 tron and abraded that the yertebrse
are actually visible in places while, ~ be-
fore stated, his lower limbs are literally
scanned and furrOwed
= Man with q Memory.