The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-19
A BEAR AGAINST SNAKES.
What a Prospector Saw in
the Black Hills.
dozens of Rattlesnakes Attack and Kill
Big Grizzly.

hpouJ year alCer tne custer MAS
sacre ! was prospecting in the Black
Hills. and l tell you that keeping
lookout for Indians, rattlesnakes. griz-
ely bears, outlaws, and "indications"
was all the work one man should have
been loaded with. was stark alone,
you remember, having been sent out
BY certain spectators in Denver.
was "heeled" with all the weapons l
cared to lug, and as for grub, was
expected to furnish myself.
Skipping several close shaves from
tossing my scalp, and several accidents
which brought me face to face with
death, let me tell you of curious bat
tie which l had the good luck to wit
ness. l had been camping or lodging
in cave in one Of the ruggedest
mountains nature ever made. found
it by accident, and l turned it into a
lodging house, because it offered me a
secure retreat from the Indians. There
were plenty of the red around, and 1
moved about in constant dread of feel
ing their bullets.
During the first two nights was
dndisturbed, but on the third l heard
the "woosh!" Of IA grizzly about bed
time. and the brute prowled about the
neighborhood half the night. l reck-
on he could get my scent, but was un-
able to locate me. Once he approached
within twenty feet of the mouth of
my den and stood there for ten min
utes and shifted and snuffed and
growled until / was in a cold sweat
He went away after a time, but l
didn't sleep more than an hour all that
night. Next morning l was astir be-
fore sunrise, and l soon got on the
tract of Old Ugly. He had gone to the
west, and | had not followed his trail
over 500 feet when l found a beaten
path leading up and down. 1t was
doubtless the old gentleman's private
roadway, and had seemingly been used
for months. followed it for about
half mile, and it then took a sudden
turn around ledge or mass of rocks
about fifteen feet high. Believing l
was pretty near "home," andnot wish
ing to walk in on anybody without
warning, climbed the ledge instead
ef keeping the path. l had scarcely
reached the top when I heard an
r-r-r-r! and at the same instant got the
scent of rattlesnakes. You just get
that green cucumber scent once, and
you'll never forget it. It's smell no
other reptile has, and it makes you
powerful sick, without any time wasted.
Well, dozen or more great rattlers
trawled away as 1 advanced, ,and l saw
them disappear on the other side of the
ledge. l was on rocky shelf jutting
out of the mountain. The distance
across was about twenty feet. l got
down on hands and knees. and crept to
the far edge and looked out from be-
hind boulder. 1t was well that
had been cautious. Below me, and
not over thirty feet away, lay my old
| grizzly fast asleep. He was on the
broad of his back, legs up. and when
my eyes fell upon his long, steel-like
claws no longer wondered how he
was able to tear the carcass of a deer
into shreds at few strokes.
had the old chap dead to rights.
There was good rest for my Win
chester, and even a poor shot could
put two bullets into his head before
he could open his eyes. But l didn't
shoot. While l was making ready to-,
full dozen rattlesnakes went gliding
down the path toward the bear. They
looked ugly and defiant, but perhaps
would have passed him by if he had
remained quiet. He lay to one side
of the trail, and as the snakes neared
him he gave an uneasy roll and ut
tered a snore. Quicker than creased
lightning every snake coiled and rat
tied, and one darted forward and struck
the old chap in the hind leg.
Then circus commenced. As the
bear sprang up with fierce growl,
the snakes divided and about half of
them passed him. This put him be-
tween two fires. He seemed dazed
for moment, but soon began striking
out with bis claws and uttering such
growls as sent chills up and down my
spine. He woke up bad party in
those rattlers They were spelling
for fight, and went in to kill. The
fight was scarcely begun before anoth-
er dozen snakes wriggled out of crev-
ices and hurried down as reinforce
ments.
The bear at up on end and struck
light and left, disabling several of the
serpents inside of two minutes, but it
was plain that he had no heart for the
fight. The poison of the first bite was
probably taking the courage out OF
him.
The battle lasted about five min
ates, at the end of which time Old
Ugly began to whine like three-year-
old boy. He wanted to get away, and
he ceased to strike When he did fin,
ally bolt down the path, half dozen
rattlers were clinging TO him, and he
was the worst-whipped bear in the
great and glorious West.
Waiting about half an hour, l de-
scended from my perch and followed