The Red Cloud chief., 1885-06-26

along the river and came 10 q point OIL
land thrust out into it which vas dense
" covered with. brush and fallen timber.
Two Of the party walked round by the
edge of the stream, but the third. .
German. and q very powerful fellow.
followed a well beaten game-trail lead
ing through the bushy point. When
they were some forty yards apart the
two men heard an agOnized shout frDm
the German. and q. the same time the
loud coughing growl or roar OF a bear
They turned Just in time to see their
companion struck a terrible blow on the
head by a grizzly. which must have
been reused from it, lair by his almost
stepping on il; SO close VAS it that he
had no time 10 fire his rife. but mer-ls
held it up over his head as a guard. Of
curse is was struck down, the claws
Of the great brute at the same time
~shat.ering his skull like an egg-shell.
The man staggered on some ten feet
before he fell; but. when he did fall he
never spoke or moved again. The two
others killed the bear after a short.
brisk struggle. AZ he was in the midst
of a most determined charge.
In 1872, near Fort Wingate. n. NJ.
two soldiers Of a cavalry regiment came
to their death at the claws of a grizzly
bear. The army surgeon who attended
them told me the particulars. SO far Is
they were known. They were ma l.
carriers. and one day did not come in
at the appointed time. Next day n re-
lief party was sent out to look for them,
and after some search found the bodies
Of both, As well 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 the story. They
had seen a. grizzly and pursued it on
horseback with their Spencer rifles.
On coming close, one had fired into its
side. when it turned with marvellous
quickness for so large and unwieldy
an animal. and struck down the horse.
at the same time inilicting a CHASTITY
wound on the rider. The other man
GismOunted and came up to the rescue
of his companion. The bear then left
the latter and attacked the other. AL
though hit by the bul!et, it charged
home and threw the man down, and
then lay on him and del berately bit
him 10 death; his groans and cries were
frightful to hear. Afterwards il walkei
off into the bushes without again off.r-
ing TO modest the already MORALLY
wounded victim of its first assault.
At certain times the grizzly works a
good deal Of havoc among the herds Of
the s:Ockmcn. A friend of mine, a
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 beef-steer5. But one of them
found his intended quarry too
much for him. My friend had a stOcky.
vicious range stallion. which had
been grazing n day near a small
thicket of bushes, and towards evening
galloping in with three or four
n one haunch. that looked As if
they had Eeen cut with a dull IKE. The
cowboys knew at once that he had
been assailed by a bear. and rode off to
the thicket near which he had been
Sure enough a bear. evil
in a very bad temper. sailed out
as soon rs the thicket was surrounded,
and, after a spir ted fight and a sue.
of charges. was killed. On Ok
animation, it was found that his under.
jaw was broken. and part of his face
smashed in. evidently by the stalliOn's
hoOfs. The horse had been feeding.
the Lear leaped out at him, but
failed to kill at the first stroke; then the
horse dashed 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. he expected to seize him.
simply to find and bay him, and
distract his attention by barking and
Occasionally a pear can be
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
and still-hunt it in its own
haunts. shooting it ut close quarters.
its tracks should be followed UNI
til the bed wherein it lies during the
day is found. or a given locality in
which it is known to exist should be
carefully beaten through. or else a bait
should b. left out and a watch kept on
it to catch the bear when he has come
to visit it.
During last summer we found it nee
10 leave my ranch on the Little
Missouri and take quite = long trip
TIE cattle country Of Southeast.
ern Montana and Northern WyOm ng.
and having come to the foot of the BIZ
Horn MOutains We took q fortnight's
hunt through them after elk and bear.
We went into the mountains with a
leaving the ranch-w agon Mt
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, a weather beaten
old plainsman who possessed a most
extraordinary sock Of miscellaneous
misinformation upon every conceivable
and the other. nv ranch fore
man. Merritield. Merriield was origin
ally an Eastern backwoOdsman. Snd
the last year Dr. two has been
my .fdus Achates of the hunting-field.
He is . well-built. good-looking fellow.
an excellent rider. . first-class shot and
3 keen SPORTSMAN. None of rs had ever
been within two hondred miles of the
Big Horn Range before. SO that our
trip had the added est Of Deing
also an exploring eSpeditiou.
Each of us rude One pOnv, and tho
packs were carried on four others. We
were not burdened by much baggage.
Having no tent we took the canvas
instead: our led ling.
of spare cartridges, some -four.
bacon. coffee. sugar and salt. and . few
very primitive cooking utensils CON-
the outfit.
The Big Horn Range il . chain Of
bare rocky peaks. stretching length
wise along the middle of q table-.and
which is about thirty miles wide. At
It's nduna Ah;a alla l> s>n l>A