The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1885-01-03
Lassolng a Grizzly.
forest and Stream.l

Forest and Stream]
The catching Of the big bear Of
Eanta Rosa. some years ago i'll San Diego
county, was Irofably the greatest perform
arc. Of the kind ever seen in California.
This bear was pronounced hy several who
had seen "Oll Sampson' and other great
bears, far larger tan any of them. His
hide was on exhibition for mont,' at Los
Angeles, AM was th, wonder Of all old boar
hunters. His heal was more ti:aa the
strongest man in the party could lift cl,ar OF
the ground. and his weight was estimatel at
1000 to 1000 pounds.
But one evening he caught yearliny
helfer just outside the edge of the great sea
of cEapraral that covers miles of the north
ern part OF San Diego county AMI the south-
ern part J. S Angeles county, AMI ferns the
rancho OF Santa Ro;a. A vaquero saw him.
and as he rode within sigh the bear left the
heifcr and went into the bush. Word
was sent 40 Cnce to Temccu and
iy o'clock six men on six Of the
best horses in the co ;ntry. cecl Ilal
with an extra riata tied behind the saddle,
were Oh the ground. Lalf dozen more men
c, aIe .tators rode along i'll tie leaT. For
tUnatelv The moon was nearly full. About
25J yards way, upon the leeward side Of the
dead cow, the party halted and tied their
horses, while some Of tho ire wtnt ahead on
foot to reconno.t,r. Behind Iittlo knoll,
12o yards CT SO from the bait, they stopp,i
Over the dead animal half q dozen coyotes
wero snar!n, nj lie, ding but 10 bear was
there.
Nearly two hours passed away, when
there was sudden Iul in the noise of the
coyotes, an they began to sneak away from
the bait. The crack Of lrush, too was
heard in the cEapparal, AMI il minute
a huge mass cf shaggy blackness emerge Il,
wal ed around to the leewari side of the
Leicer and stepped upon tn, listls knoll 20
clio e to the men that they could lear its
breathing, and in the cool night bret ze that
Gcated toward tkcn could plainly smell III,
strong odor Of toe mi1hty brute. Hour
rfter hour passei yet the bear still kept his
place. AT nearly O'clock in the morning
ito bear finally decided to oa5, and started
toward tie carcGse, Grd soCn tie cracking Of
bones was card
Quickly the men went back for tie horses,
The horses knew as well as their ElGst-rs
what was coming, and each one trein.l31
like a leaf as the great horseLair girth was
"c!nc.:cd" as tightly as ,he lcng running
strap could draw it Don Franci co Ma
chsdo one of the owners of the ranch. was
selcc>ed 10 make tine first throw. They
rode up quietly to within about 100 yar,;s
aLd then like a fight of arrows, the six
horses shot forwar1 beneath TIE impulse of
the spurs If such Large lie not into tn
jaws of hell, it is very mucl Ike it Ger
tain it is that more men can o found to lead
q charge like that of the Light brigade than
to lead one as Don Francisco did.
At tie clattcr of the Loofs the bear rose
with a savage growl from his supp,r. Right !
up to within rite, n feet cf the brute rode |
Don Francisco with his brother, Don Juan
Machado and n friend close behind him. An |
other Lrother, Den Jose Machado, and two
other horsemen split off and passed rpol the !
other side of the victim. Wheeeoo, wneeeoo,
went the moo twice around the ri ler's head |
as he approached the bear; whiZZ Went thc |
Hoo&e as it flew from his hand. With faint /
zip it fell over tie bears head, and in |
twinkling the other end Of TIE rope was
wound around the horn OF the saddle and the |
moose drawn tight with sudden jerk. The |
bear, instead OF Icing pullel off his feet or
trying to leo ca the RATA, made a rus, for !
Don Francisco, but the quick horse
lie rode sprang forward fast enough !
to keep the RATA tight, and in a moment |
another EUse, from the hand of Don !.
10 G. cropped over the bears head from be- |
hind; but it also went under ono foot, making |
the Moose catch over the shoulder. Nainly |
tie horse set b .mself hack upon his haurcaes |
No horse C ulI h;ll such q hold as that, and |
Don jose had to drop his RATA.
Don Francisco now II led to jerk the bear
sidewise SO as to get him off his feet or get |
him to raise lis feet So that they could be !
easily 100 ed by his companions Moose |
af,er Eoose aimei for the Lrute's legs wEiZzaa |
through the air; lug lie would not keep
foot clear of the ground lorg enough fer
succe sui throw. and his movement were 50
irrec ular that it was impossible to base cal |
culatiOns upon them 30 as to cas- the loop L.
SIDE. But in moment more z p came another
loop over the bears head, aid fell full
around his neck. As it tigh.ened he rose
upon his feet while both loops were pulling
in opposite directions In twlnkliug his
paws were teIeIth them; in a IN nleat he
had them both in his mouth. su,h trenst.l
surprised end Charmed his pers. cutors. The
air was filed with Spanish ejacuil ions, and
the worst Of it was that boGa icre paws wera
now SO rejected that neither one could lie
lessced. Amid the carrajos and carram a.
and quo diabo es es.e, on, of tho riatas,
frayed and cut half IN two by teeth AMI
Claws, parted Ieneath the strain, ami before
another cast could be made the seccni one
gave way.
But the bear was free for but an instant
The very incarnation of fury, he made
rush at Don Jose, whose horse wheeled with
a whirl that would have landed an ordinary
rider in the claws of the enemy just as lie
hc1 hnl ami .,,f, |
another nocse cine with suldsn Ia.,
around his head, catching i'll his NOUN ~
tightening on tie Instant beh:n his tccin
and behind his ears As he reared uIon his
fest another one fell over his head upon top
Of the first one and by the two he was jerkel
over backward, and then there was a wild
confusion Of horses AMI men and ropes anil
bear and Spanish interjections ard cries OF
"Agarra un pie, "Pronto," DE veras es c.
diablo," etc. Before one of bis fee5 c1a!d be
sccurel lie had SO cut ihe second r alta al. :,
his neck with his claws that it gave way
and had turnei himself ever ami Wa
again upon his feet. TIL, moose in is mtuan
still held, and as be raised one paw 10 ge,
that loose, zip landed another loop ri,bt NeI
the paw. In a tw mixing that paw va, Gut-
stretched, pulling tie bear so tnat lie raised
tho hind foot upon tie ether side. Quicker
than it can be told that foot was cau.ilt up
by dexterous fling from Don Francisco and
cure, but the work was anything but done.
Every foot must b, secured with Moose.
but two OF them were upon the ground, and
as only opposite feet had been caught it was
not so easy to turn him over. Another r.eta
was cast over hi; bead, end by tie aid OF
The two he was RULED backward, wllils by
the r:atas on hi; feet he was swung around.
A horseman stood in front and another
behind, each with Rata in short coil and
with a small pco;e ready to pick up the two
loose feet. The front one was snapped the
tirst time he raised it clear enough from the
ground for the moose to rass under, and a.