The Benton weekly record., 1883-10-06
A BEAR STORY.
what Happened to a Hunter i'm the
montana District Recently
An 0,er True Tale


An Ger True Tale.
Some days ago party of four men start
ed from Neihart on a hunting excursion.
Ihey intended to capture as many deer
ana elk as possible, but figured on no 9TH
er kind of game. Their hopes were NOT
realized, as the sequel will show. After
reaching point about six or eight miles
south of Neihart, in the mountains the
party set up camp and prepared to
slaughter all the game they could find,
Inc tour men separated, each one taking
different direction, promising of course
to meet ini camp at nightfall. Three of
them met with fair success and returned
to camp with quite an amount of game.
Ihey prepared supper and made every ar
rangment for the night, but missing their
companion and having seen no sign of him
during the afternoon, their uneasiness con-
tlnued to increase and search party of
two was organized to hunt up the missing
man. Armed with torches the party start
ed, searching every chapparelle and cou-
lee for the man they hunted. After some
three hours of anxiety the attention of the
searehers was attracted by an outery
IN neighboring thcket and
they directed their steps in the direction
from whence the sounds proceeded.
On entering the thicket strange sight
presented itself. Their companion. a man
of unusual caution and nerve. Law across n
gigantic log, his arms and legs fast in the
branches OF the fallen tree, while over him
stood large grizzley bear tearing .awav
at his face and forehead. The bear was
accompanied by two cubs, each of which
was amusing itself by nibbling at his legs
and body. A few well directed shots
drove the beasts away and the imprisoned
man was released. His face was almost
entirely torn away, his clothes were in
shreds and he presented an appearance of
the greatest delapidation. On being res
cued the injured man tainted dead away and
it was some time before he regained sutfi-
cient consciousness to tell his remarkable
adventure.
When he was able to talk however, he re-
lated the circumstances of his adventure in
this way: IL heard your guns go off sew
eral times and thought you had run onto
some elk or deer, as heard good deal of
crashing in the thicket here. Thinking [
might get a shot at something you had
scared up came in here and sat on this
log. BY and by there was another big
crash and before could get my gun down
on them the bear and cubs came into the
opening and the old one made rush for
me. | struck her with my gun, but the
blow had no effect except to make her all
the more rabid, and before | fully realized
the situation she had run against me,
throwing me backward over the log. Nv
arms became entangled in the branches
and | was helpless. The old bear CON-
menced chewing on my face and neck and
her claws tore my clothes almost off. I
hollered as loud as [ conld, but received no
answer and had just given myself up as
dead when you people arriyed.'
4 iio ol1as.---~~.,---.---rr-s,- u--.----~-~-.~-
: though he will not be presentable fol
some time to come. He was taken to camp
and from there moved to White Sulphur
Springs, where heis receiving medical at
; tendance. His escape from death was a
narrow one and it is presumed he will take
no more chances on his hunting trips here
after. Bear are quite numerous about
Neihart and great many stories could be
told of narrow escapes. The festive grizzly
is growing more scarce every year, how
ever, and there will be no bear yarns to
write up in another twelvemonth.
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