Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-02-19


off, when ] heard a sort of shuttle
with ehuckling, gurgling, signing
kind of a sound at the bottom OF the
door. Then something climbed or
top of the cabin and commenced tC
scratch on the roof; then something
else climed up and they both scratch
ed together, and / knew it was a
couple of big mountain lions come
after the antelope meat. knew,
too, they were big, for when they
would Jump down once in while
they made quite athnd, though their
spring is light. Well then got my
short barreled Winchester and tried
to place them, and after while one
stuck his ugly snufiling head in at
the top, and ! shot at it. | guess |
mis.4 it, for ! didn't see any blood
around next day, and though | heard
them snufiiing around again after a
while, they didn't get on the roof
any more, and went away soon, and
whether the wolves howled much
after that can't say for | went to
sleep. Next morning my comrade
came back from a rancho where he
had gone after his horses to ride, so
we were both mounted again.
! spoke to you about cold hunter
awhile ago, and | will tell you some
thing that happened to him four or
five miles from here. If | were a
liar | would make myself the hero,
but to be good liar one must have
a good memory, and | fear mine is
defective. Anyhow 1t points a good
moral: always To be well armed
when one goes hunting here, for he
doesn't know what kind Of a beast
he will run onto. Strolling along
one day after deer, with his Win
chester on his arm, he saw black
object some distance away, low
down in the bushes. lie supposed
for moment it was dark elk, or
maybe a steer or COW which had come
there and died. But this is how he
told it: 81 had a notion TO shoot,
but faint a good plan to shoot at
anything when You don't know what
IL is Mebbe some time you might
klll a man. So crept nearer and
nearer, ill was within forty Yards,
should say, when it growls like
thunder, aud gets up till thought
1t was 10 big as an elephant, and II
was the biggest, an awfullest, an
ugllest grizzley | ever laid eyes on.
1t seemed sort o surprised at first;
guess 1t had been takin' a nap. But
he soon got all fired mad, an rose up
on his hind feet, till it was as tall as
big man, an clawed the air with
his fore paws, and showed his hor-
rble looking teeth long as Your fin.
ger, and run out his big claws which
were tioice AZ long. Wen, | was
scared; but | had sense enough left
not to run, an | had the bigger
sense not to shoot. | couldn't have
killed him SOS he'd die right of, az.
he would tare me to pieces before he
died, even if hit him square. Well,
me an the bear stood that way |
guess for a minute, ] lookin' at him
an him lookin' at me out of his
wicked eyes, an thought, old fell
Ter, you let me alone an I'll let you
alone; you make IT hot fer me an
IN give you as good as you bring.
After awhile he stopped clawii' the
air an got down, but he admit qui;
his horrible growlia'; but | KEEP,
eull an didn't say rolhin, Just stood
an looked at him, an by-au.by he
backed off little, growin' an
shown his teeth all the time. Then
he wCuid so sideways tor while
then he would get up an claw the
air as if to say, Come ON ole man
I'm ready for yer Lor, but he die
handle his paws pretty, an after
awhile he got off SO he whould turn
around and go piece face from me
then he would turn an' show hi,
teeth, an me stock still all the time
l had n big notion to fire when h,
got off about 100 yards; my finger,
ilohed, but then he was SO awful biz
au' there warnt no trees around
Well, sir, when he'd got off litt.,
over 100 yards, an he got to som,
more bash, he just stopped an look
ed az me mmu,e, then he lit Gu
through the brush like herd of cat
tie, or as though the ID was afte
him. Lor but he was glad to &c
away, if running like a steer mean
Il be scared. | could hear tn
bushes crackle for a quarter mile
but he warn't more glad to get ava
from me than | from hun, / tell yo
right, now"
So hunting in this section is No
without its perils, yet such occur
reuce- are rare, and the ordiuar
bear does not show fight like th
grizzley. Right over across the val
ley | can see the horseshoe basin
ridge of rocks shaped like hors