Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-01-09
A RACE FOR LIFE.
Chased by Bear and Snow.

mountains in search Of gold and man,
are the hair-breadth escapes expert
enced but it seldom happens that sucl
a combination of terrors are met will
as were encountered by George T
Clark, of Denver, in his recent trip t.
Breckenridge, near which place he has
some valuable mining property.
~ started out one morning" he said
''to visit mountain located about six
miles southeast Of Breckenridge, for the
purpose of finding whether the assess
ment had been done on some valuable
property. ! vent on hOrseback TO the
base Of the mountain, tied my horse
and went up the side on snow-shoes
carrying q rife and staff The snow
was four feet deep. The wax was a
good, stiff one of four and a half miles
[ attended to the work / had in hand
and as the day was fine | determined
on enjoying a somewhat more extended
hunt than | had originally intended.
| skirted around a clump of aspens on
northeast side of the mountain, keeping
the location of my horse in sight. and
passed over the range and struck up
through some struggling pines for a
mile or more keeping close to the ridge
got on fresh track of s bear and
followed this up close to timber line,
and finding that the game had crossed
the ridge ! determined to folloW. !
again crossed over the ridge and for the
first time discovered that | was much
higher than l had any desire to be.
Still there was good decline before
me, nearly five miles, over which |
could skim with my snowshoes like u
bird on the wing. 1t was very stespr
however, and had been less expert in
II - - -~~wahnes | should have hes.
itated to attempt the descent, but
bracing my staff under my arm, setting
nv course in the direction Of my horse
and singing my rife in such manner
that it could he brought readily into
use in case l cought sight of the bear.
which | observed had taken the route
that l was about to follow, l started
"The snow was just right for coast
ing, and 1 swept along like the wind
down the mountain side. l had opl y
proceeded about a quarter OF a mile,
however, when | was forced to slightly
deviate from my course to avoid a
thick clump of trees. Suddenly the
head of hug grizzly bear was push
ed out from under some wild rose
bushes, on the seed of which bears
feed, almost directly in front of me and
not more than ten rods ahead. Quick
as fash l brought my rife to my
shoulder and fired | knew that l had
struck the bear, for he gave a roar of
pain and rushed after me. | went by
like fash. Setting back on his
haunchcs and placing his fore-paws in
front of bin he started after me. l was
not much alarmed at this. however, as
as | had frequently seen grizzly bears
slide down the mountains in this way
and | felt certain that | could beat one
of them. But in the rush he had made
at me | noticed that be had loosened a
lot of snow and the fear of snow-slide
shot across my mind. l took quick
glance over my shoulder and saw that
my worst fears were realized. | knew
that nothing could stop the slide. If
it were not for the pursuit of the bear |
could have stopped at the start and al
lowed the comparatively light rush of
snow to pass me, but it was already too
late for this and the bear was gaining
on me. The bear roared with pain
from the wound | had inflicted on him
until his voice was gradually drowned
out by the increasing roar of the snow
slide which was already an awful avail
anche, | did not dare to look again for
several moments, during which | shot
through half n.ile of clear space and
struck through clump of heavy pines.
Occasionally boulder which had be.
come disengaged from the main mass
of snow and debris would come along
of me and then leave me in the race,
carried on by its greater gravity. En-
tering the elump of pines again glanc-
ed back momentarily and through the
mist of flying snow, not more than q
rod behind, | saw the cleaning eyes of
the grizZ'y. Then all my attention
was required to steer my course safely
at the mad gait at which | was going
through the trees.
"In an instant | had whisked
through the forest, the trees of which
to be flying up the mountain
in grand charge against the now
overwhelming mass of snow and rocks,
and in another instant they had joined
the conquering avalanche and were en-
gagged in hot pursuit of me and the
bear.
II could scarcely see on account of
the binding drift of loosened snow
which had been aroused and the speed
at which 1 was sweeping down the
mountain side. Suddenly | found
myself flying through the open air and
then again | struck the mountain. |
had passed over a dreadful gully at
least hundred feet in the clear, and
the thought flashed across me that |
had at least got rid of the bear. But
hot breath upon my neck convinced
me of my error. The bear had also
crossed the gully in safety and was
still gaining upon me. He evidently
felt that he had me and gave a savage
roar of triumph which sounded above
the roar and din of the avalanche. |
was saved by miracle. I glanced
over my head just in time to see a
huge boulder crush the bears skull and
bound harmlessly over my head. But
while the bear was ont of the race the
odds were largely in favor of snow
slide for winner Already the drift
ing snow was above my knees and |
expected momentarily to share the fate
of the bear from sone of the boulders
hurled out of the terrible mass of NOV
ing matter so close behind him. | had
still mile and half to go, and while
| was sweeping along with almost