The Ketchum keystone. (Ketchum, Idaho) 1881-1884, 1882-12-29
had left him. He found himself weak,

alone without arms. food or help, and suf.
fered intensely for water. He realized
only vaguely his terrible situation. He
remembered the bear and the departure
Of his companions after leaving Bridger
to attend to him He could see cold,
bubbling spring of water less than 90 feet
away, and he was dying for water,
He managed, after long and tedious
effort. during which he suffered the most
Intense agony, to reach the water with his
right arm. There he lay for several days,
bathing his wounds with water and keep.
ing down the fever. As he bad no food
his fever soon left him, and in few days
he was able to crawl about on one side
and one elbow. By rare provision of
Providence o buffalo calf had died on the
plains not far from where Glass lay. He
managed to crawl to the carcass, and by
the aid OF his hunting knife, which
Bridger failed to and, the wounded man
satisfied his hunger, He laid by the side
of the dead carcass several days, during
which he cut and dried several pieces Of
meat, and then crawled back to the water.
More than a month after this time, the
outposts at Fort Randall were astoDished
to see a strange looking object crawling
slowly toward the stockade gate, 1t did
not look like q human being, nor did it
resemble any known animal, but 1t kept
slowly crawling along, making neither
noise nor sign. 1t was picked UP and car
ried into the Fort, where, sftss lleihg
washed and cleaned, 1t proved to be the
animated skeleton OF Tom Glass, the aban
dopcd hunter. He had made his way,
crawling along like snake, upon one side,
a distance more than 100 miles He had
lived upon roots, reptiles and berries and
even grass during the latter half OF his
terrible journey. What he suffered was
known only 70 himself. His wounded
arm was withered and dried the wounds
on his body were partially healed, the
fresh buckskin having almost grown to
the lacerated skin.
With kind attention and care, Glass was
abie, curing the r5Ilowsng spring walk
about, and then he started forth on his
mission of vengeance, He made his way
to Fort Benton, on the upper Missouri,
where he was regarded by his former
comrades as an apparit!on and created
CONSERVATION in the camp. Luckily for
Bridger, he was absent trapping up in the
Big Horn country. However, he was duly
tried by proxy and sentenced by his old
oompanions--the French and half breeds
to die at the hands Of the first person who
might meet him. He was declared an
outlaw, q renegade, and doomed to death.
By some means Bridger learned, to his
great horror, that the man he thought
dead and devoured by wolves was alive,
and that he had been tried by his com
rades and doomed to die. He learned also
that Glass had sworn to follow him until
he killed him. To escape this fate and to
avoid meeting white men who might
know of his crime, Jim Bridger fled to
the Rocky Mountains and made his home
among the Shoshone tribe, where he re-
mained for more than four years, when
Glass discovered his retreat Bridger
again fed and went to Blackfeet, where
Glass again followed him. Bridger start
ed south aud joined the Ogolalla Sioux
who, finding Glass lurking about their
village, shot him as a spy. With the death
of Tom Glass in 1888 Bridger felt himself
safe from pursuit
He never afterward attempted to fra.
ternize or associate with the old crowd of
| hunters or the upper Missouri.
He crossed the mountains, joined his
old friends, the Shoshone or Snake In.
dians, built Fort Bridger where he lived
with his squaw for many years, a quiet
and silent man. He was kind but not
generous, to the white emigrants who met
with him on the TRAIL He would not al.
low them te run into danger nor permit
The Indians 10 attack the whites without
warning them, if he could reach them.
He was bsshful, but rather selfish man,
not negiecting himself at any time, AS a
general rule the old man disliked to CO
rouse with strangers, but as be grew older
he became almost g,rrulcns among bis
| adquaintanees, while at other times he
would decline TO say yes or no to civil
question,
Thus is explained by one of the scouts
Oldest acGuaintances the mystery Of Jim
Bridgef's carly life, and the cause Of
his lifetime exile among the Indian tribes
of the northwest.
Hard TO forget a saddle colored lady
--Mls Matilda suowball--was walking
down Austin eveotie when Uncle Nose,
who vas walking Up the street looking at
| the circus pictures over his shoulder, tan