Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-01-30
A Singular Duel.

A Singular Duel.
While stalking buffalo one morning
during my two years factorship at Fort
Assinboine, in the Hudson Bay terri
tories, witnessed an encounter which
we'll illustrates tie relative strength of
a buffalo bull and grizzly bear.
Wolf and falo-shooting, with AL
occasional climb among the cliffs in
pursuit OF the wild gray sheep, were
almost my only means of anus ement,
and but for these, my life would indeed
have been a lonely one.
But of the hunting no ono could
complain, for there is no better hunt.
ing ground in the world than in Sas-
katchewan country..and the region lying
northward OF it. along the foot of the
Rocky Mountain Range. Buffalo
OLSON 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 sections.
Wolves-white, gray and black-are
always sneaklng about the skirts of the
great buffalo herds and because large
game is 80 plenty, the region is much
infested by ferocious gray bears, the
danger of stumbling on one of which is
the chief drawback to hunters en-.
joyment.
No sportsman, however we'll provided
with breech-loaders, will voluntarily
risk an encounter with one of these
grizzled monsters. Their extraordinary
ferseness, as we'll as cunning, has never
been whit exaggerated.
On the morning above alluded to, I
had gone out early from the camp of O
hunter named Cline, on Mcleod River,
with whom I was stopping few days.
The place was we'll up among the
mountains, and the river bottom,
though open and grassy in plats of sew
eral acres extent together, was bordered
by timber and thickets of scrub.
The sun had not risen when I left
our tent, but in the gray light saw o
small herd OF buffalo feeding on the
edge of the woods across the river.
about half mile distant.
There were about dozen of them.
and with my glass / could see that
three or four out of the number were
cows.
We were in need of fresh meat sup.
ply. So. without waking Cline, who
had got in late from his beaver traps
the night before. I took my gun, a
double barreled twelve bore Dickson.
and set off for the herd.
We had little raft on the river. upon
which crossed over, and then, keeping
in the alders along the bank, went up
and around the open plat, and followed
down in the timber beyond it, thinking
it would be no difficult matter to get a
shot at short range.
But the buffaloes had the wind" of
me from that side, and without hurry.
ing, or seeming to notice my approach.
the whole herd bore off to the tight,
and moved down along the timber on
that side faster than could make nv
way through it without a noise.
l followed for a hundred rods or
more, and once was up within ninety
yards but the COWS, which are SILVER
IMAM the bulls, had moved still farther
away. :.
At last, out of patience, I sent shot
after them at long range, which had the
effect OF instantly stampeding the herd
down the river.
ohouldering my rife, started, in no
very coed humor, to go back to the
river, across the meadow, for a cup of
coffee, at least, before further hunting.
when, CHANGING to turn, I saw three
white goats just over the ton of the
lumber among the crags which here wall
in the river bottom.
Inc goats were looking at me. Prob
ABLY they had heard the report of the
gun. Though we'll up among the rocks.
they were not, l judged, more than
tnree-iourths of mule from where /
stood.
1 had never yet Teen able to shoot
one OF these goatantelopes, for thew
are the wariest of game vet thought
there was chance of moving warily
through the woods to the foot of the
crags, and then making shot. So I AT
once turned back.
But l had my labor for my pains.
When l reached the foot of the rocks.
the goats were not in sight and even
alter climbing cautiously I'D to the
summit OF the crags, could not dis.
Germ trace of them. The shy creatures
had taken hesty leave.
But while looking for the goats, saw
more buffalo. Over beyond the crags
there was green, open plat, as large
as small farm, in the midst of which
there was a little pond-hole, beside a
great upright reddish rock, or butte.
which had tuft of Ii. tie poplars grow,
ing on the top of it.
1t was an odd-looking place, all sur.
rounded by reddish crags and bare
gravel knobs, except on the side newt
the crags on which stood, where there
was low thicket OF hemlock, The