The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-05-04
"Whoop-eev' How Frightened the Bears.

WuOOp.to' aOW IlSuJcucu LILO DoAL6s
Years ago. when Indians and bears
we're plentiful in California and white
men were not, on my way to San Fran
cisco was riding through what were
known as the fuic marshes, bordering
the San Joaquin River near its mouth.
Those were days before railroads, steam
boats, or even ordinary sailing vessels,
when journeys of four or five hundred
miles were made on MISUNDERSTANDING
ming streams when you came to them.
or canoeing" them when they were
very wide, and leading your horse from
the stern of the "dug-Out."
was to cross the San Joaquin in this
latter fashion, and was approaching the
point from which travellers shouted to
the Indian ferryman on the opposite
shore, and called him over in his cranky
craft.
The sun of a brilliant summers day
was setting behind me, and his dazzling
rays, already nearly level with the tops
of the bushes that sprang up by the
hOrse-path, lit up the tall, sturdy trunks
of the forest trees that stretched far to
my right. l was about breaking the
silence of the vast solitudes by shouting
with all my might, "Whoop-ee!' which
was the ferry-call, and had just turned
my horses head toward the riverbank,
when two bears, which had come down
from the woods for their evening drink,
and had been concealed from my view
by the bend Of the road and the tall
bushes, suddenly appeared not twenty
PAGES in front, scratching for roots in
the middle of the road. Now, horses
love bears about as much as do little
children who have heari nurses stories
Of them; SO, no sooner had the beast on
which was riding caught a glimpse of
the great, shaggy intruders, than he gave
a snort of surprise, and whirled so sud-
denly in his tracks that went over his
side, saving myself from tumble only
by clutching the high pommel Of my
California saddle and holding on for dear
life. Back up the road scampered my
flying steed, while chung like a Cam
anche to his flanks. Righting myself in
the saddle, however, brought my heavy
Spanish bit to bear, and soon refined in
the frightened animal. had much diff
ficulty in making him face about, but
the great, jingling spurs which we wore
in those dayslwere very persuasive, and,
though with fear and trembling, the poor
horse putting like locomotive, began to
retrace his steps.
We had gone back only few yards
when we saw bears again, and, despite
my own and the horses nervousness, l
burst out laughing at their comical ap-
pearance. They had been as much fright
ened, probably, as we, but seeing our
cOwardly flight, had taken courage and
trotted up the road after us, until they
came into the full glare of the sun; and
there they both stood. motionless, on their
hind legs, side by side, each shading his
eyes with his right paw and apparently
transfixed with wonder and amaZement
Horses they We're familiar with, because
the plains Of San Joaquin were covered
with rowing bands Of wild horses; In
dians they had occasionally seen and put
to flight; but what that white-faced OBJ
ject, with the blue shirt and colored
handkerchief around his neck, was, must
have been to them, just then, an alb
sorbing inquiry of the bear intellect, for
they were certainly taking their first
look at white man. The left paw of
each hung by his side, limp and nerve
less; and, under the paw, which deity
ana with most ludicrOus effect shaded
their vision, the little, wide-open. piggish
eyes were, in their puzzled expression,
irresistibly comical.
l had no gun with me, and l don't
think should have used it if had one;
but bethought me of the ferry-call, and
yelled. '.WhOop-ee!" at the top of my
lungs. That broke the spell and inter-
rupted their gaze at the same moment,
and two more frightened bears never got
down from their hind legs and took to
the woods.
The Indian fcrry-man across the river
gave me the answering shout. "Hy-yar!
and | shouted "Whoop-ee!' again. l
heard the bushes clash and snap and
break. as those two utterly astonished
bears burst madly through them in their
flight. did not call them back.-E,
w Kcmple in ST. Nicholas.