Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-06-25


The man staggered on some ten feet
before he fell; but when he did fall he
never spoke ot moved again. The two
others killed the bear after a short.
brisk struggle, as he was IN the midst
Of most determined charge.
In 1879, near Fort Wingate, N. M.
two soldiers Of cavalry regiment came
to their death at the claws Of grizzly
bear The army surgeon who attended
them told me the particulars. so far as
they were known They were mail
carriers, and one day did not come in
at the appointed time. Next day re-
lief party was sent out to look for them,
and after some search found the bodies
OF both, as we'll as that Of one Of the
horses. One of the men still showed
signs OF life; he came to his senses be-
fore dying, and told tho story. They
had seen ~ grizzly and pursued II on
horseback with their Spencer rifles.
On coming close, one had fred into its
side, when IL turned with marvellous
quickness for so large and unwicldy
an animal, and struck down the horse,
at the same time iunlctlng CHASTITY
wound on the rider. Tho other man
dismounted and came up to the rescue
of his companion. The bear then left
the latter and attacked the other. Al
though hit by the bullet, IL charged
homo and threw the man down, and
then lay on him and deliberately bit
him to death; his groans and cries were
frightful to hear. Afterwards It walked
off into the bushes without again offer
ing to molcst the already mortally
wounded victim of its first assault
At certain times the grizzly works a
good deal of havoc among the herds OF
the stockmen. A friend Of mine, a
ranchman in Montana, told me that
one fall bears became very plenty
around his ranches, and caused him
severe loss, killing with ease even full
grown bcef-steers. But one of them
once found his intended quarry too
much for him. My friend had a stocky,
rather vicious range stallion, which had
been grazing one day near small
thicket Of bushes, and towards evening
came galloping in with three or four
gashes in one haunch. that looked as IL
they had been cut with dull Axe. The
cowboys knew at once that he had
been assailed by bear, and rode of to
the thicket near which he had been
feeding. Sure enough a bear, evil
IDENTIFY in very bad temper, sailed out
as soon as the thicket was surrounded,
and, after a spirited fight and n sue.
cession of charges, was killed. On ex-
animation, IL was found that his under.
jaw was broken, and part Of his face
smashed in. evidently by the stallion's 5
hoofs. The horse had been feeding.
when the lear lcapcd out at him, but
failed to kill at the first stroke; then the
horse lashed out behind. and not only
freed himself, but also seriously dam
aged his opponent.
Doubtless the grizzly could be hunted
to advantage with dogs. which would
not, Of corrse, be expected to seize him,
but simply to find and bay him. and
distract his attention by barking and
nipping. Occasionally a bear can be
caught in the open and killed with the
aid of horses. But nine times out Of
ten the only way TO get one is to put on
moecasins and still-hunt il in its own
haunts. shooting it nt close quarters.
Either its tracks should be followed un-
til The bed wherein it lies during the
day is found, or given locality in
which II is known to exist should be
carefully beaten through. or else bait
should be left out and a watch kept on
II TO catch the bear when he has come
, to visit IT,
During last summer we found il nee.
essary TO leave my ranch on the Little
Missouri and take quite a long trip
through the cattle country OF Southeast
ern Montana and Northern Wyom NC,
and having come to the foot of the Big
Horn Moutains we took a nights
hunt through them after elk and bear.
We went into the mountains with
pack-train, leaving the ranch-wagon at
the place where we began to go up the
first steep rise. There were two Others
besides myself in the party; one Of
them, the teamster, weather-beaten
old plainsman who possessed most
extraordinary stock of miscellaneous
mis'nfOrmation upon every conceivable
subject. and the other. my ranch fore
man, Merrifeld. Merrifield was origin
ally an Eastern backwoodsman, sud
during the last year or two has been
my fdus AchateS Of the hunting-tield
He is well-built, good-looking fellow
an excel ent rider, a first class shot and
keen SPORTSMAN. None Of ms had ever
been within two hundred miles of the
Big Horn Range before, so that our
hunting trip had the added zest OF being
also an exploring expedition.
Each of us rode one pony, and the
packs were carried on four others. We
were not burdened by much baggage.
Having no tent We took the canvas
wagon-sheet instead; our bed ling,
plenty Of spare cartridges, some flour,
bacon, coffee, sugar and salt, and few
very primitive cooking utensils COM
pleted the outfit
The Big Horn Range is a chain OF
bare rocky peaks. stretching length
wise along the middle Of a table-land
which is about thirty miles wide. At
its edges tnis table-land falls sheer OF
into the rolling plains country. From
the rocky peaks flow rapid brooks OF
clear, icy water, which take the'r way
through deep gorges that they have
channeled out in the surface Of the
plateau; few miles from the heads Of
the streams these gorges become regu-
lar canyons, with sides so steep as 10 be
almost perpendicular. In travelling.
therefore, the trail has 10 keep we up
towact the timbcr-linc, rs lower down
horses find II difficult or impossible to
get across the valleys In strong con
trast to the treeloss cattle plains extend
ing to its foot the sides Of the table
land are densely wooded with tall pines.
It, top forms what Is called park
country-that is. it is covered with
alternating groves Of trees and open
glades, each grove or glade varying in
size from half dozen to many hundred
acres.
Early next morning we were over at
the elk carcass, and. as we expected,
found that the bear had eaten his fin at
it during the night His tracks showed
him 10 be an immense fellow and were
so fresh that we doubted II he had left
long before we arrived and VIC made