The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1880-02-13
ccllanrnus.
A Singular Duel.

While hunting buffalo one morning during
my two years factorship at Fort Assiniboine
in the Hudson Bay territories, | witnessed
an encounter which well illustrates the rea
| tive strength of II buffalo bull and grizzly
bear.
Wolf and buffalo shooting, with an occa-
sional climb among the cliffs in pursuit of the
wild gray sheep, were almost my only means
| of amusement, and but for these, my life
would indeed have been a lonely one
But of the hunting no one could complain
for there is no better hunting ground in the
world tian the saskatchewan country and
the region lying northward of it, along the
foot of the Rocky Mountain Range Buffalo
| (bison) still roam in great herds on the plains
to the east and in the mountain valleys, and
| there are moose and deer in the wooded Sec
lions.
| Wolves-white, gray and black-are al
ways sncaking about the skirts of the great
buffalo herds, and, because large game is
plenty the region is much infested by Zero
cious gray bears, the danger of stumbling on
one of which is the chief drawback to hun
tcr's enjoyment.
| No sportsman, however well provided
with brcecli-loadcrs, will voluntarily risk an
encounter with one ofthese grizzled monsters
| Their extraordinary fierccncss as well as cum
ming, has never been whit exaggerated
| On the morning above alluded to, | had
gone out early from the camp of hunter
named Cline, on Mcleod river, with whom
| | was stopping few days. The place was
| well up among the mountains, and the river
bottom, though open and grassy in plats of
several acres extent together, was bordcred
| by timber and thickets of scrub.
AT last | found myself in an odd-loolsing
place, all surrounded by reddish crags and
| bare gravel knobs, except on the side next
| the crags on which | stood, where there was
| low thicket of hemlock. The thicket may
have been from a quarter to half an acre in
extent, being just a little patch of thick ever
greens along the edge of the grassy open.
Up in the shadow of the big rock, close to
n water-hole, were three buffalo bulls, and
one of those queer, long legged buffalo oxen,
such as are sometimes seen in the herds here
abouts, and some of which grow to be fully
| two feet taller than the largest bulls.
These oxen can be seen mile off in the
| herd. They are great awkward tlat-sided
| creatures, but. commonly glossy-haircd and
| fat. They have less name and less hump on
| the neck than the bulls. and their horns are
much Simmer, but longer and more curved.
AS beef, they are equal to u fat COW. But
| it is rarely that one of them can be shot or
run down on horseback, for they will outrun
most horses. In that respect they differ
wholly from the bulls, which are not much
| inclined to run, and will often turn and de-
| fcnd the cows when they are pursued.
These buffaloes had probably lain during
the night in the shade of the rock, and now
| they had just begun to feed, at once made
out the tall OK, and after another good look
at him through my glass, resolved, if possible,
to secure him; for the hemlock thicket cX-
tended up at one point within hundred
yards of the rock as judged.
With glance to my gun, | made my way
down among the rocks, gained the edge of
the hemlock copse, and then, on my hands
and knees, crawled very slowly and cautious
ly through it-so as not to move bough nor
crack a twig if could help it.
Coming to the further side, pceped out
from amongst the boughs. There were the
bulls and my tall old OK feeding close
| together near the water. So still was the
morning that could hear every bite of grass
| they took.
Two of the bulls were tremendous fellows
shaggy, and with enormous names and
humps. Their stub horns were blunt, but of
| huge thickness.
These were old bulls The other was a
youngstcr not more than two or three years
| old, but his horns were sharp-they stuck
out like two ebony spillcs-and his coat was
very glossy, almost black
But the long legged OK was the animal l
wanted. He was standing in fine position,
| with his side fair to me- But the distance
| was greater than had estimated | was al
most afraid to risk a shot, but | saw that il
could but work my way round hundred
rods or so TO the right, | might creep up close
to them from behind the big rock.
For minute or two weighed the chances,
| ala 1nl t,,
| lay and risk it, when sudden movement in
the thicket close at hand accompanied by a
swaying of the bushes arrested my attention,
and, to my amazement there emerged before
my cyes-not so feet otf-a great gray griZz-
| ly bear, nearly as large as one of the buffalo
| bulls
My heart gave n jump, and then curled
| down as low behind the underground, and
| lay as snug to the ground as / well could
| In u moment saw by his movements that he
wasn't after me, and that he probably knew
no more ofmy presence than had known of
his. Like myself, he was buffalo stalking.
Probably he had come into the thicket
ahead of me. But if | had Glanced to fire, as
| | had concluded to, have no doubt should
| have been in lively business by that time
AS it was, l thanked my lucky stars, and, ly-
ing as low as possible determined to be a
spectator only, and see his grizzly majesty do
the hunting, and then take the first oppor-
tunity of slipping away.
On emerging from the hemlock, the great
brute stood partly up, and swayed himself to
and fro once or twice, shifting at the butfa.
loes.
Then he moved toward them. expected
they wound scent him, and instantly make
off
But they did not appear to notice him al
all till he had approached within twenty-five
or thirty yards, when the nearest of the bulls
--one of the two old shaggy ones-suddenly
faced round with low BOO J" and arching
his neck paved up the turf, showing nc
signs of fear or of retreating.
The other two bulls began booing and paw.
ing where they stood, few rods away, but
did not appear disposed to retire from the
field. The OK, however, sheered off beyond
the rock, and stood looking on, with now and
then loud snort.
Seeing the bull on his defense, the grizzly