Milford chronicle., 1885-11-27
A BEAR AGAINST SNAKES.
What a Prospector Saw in
the Black Hills.
Dozens of Rattlesnakes Attack and Kill
a Big Grizzly.

! lookout for Indians, rattlesnakes, griz
Fly bears, outlaws, and "indications
was all the work one man should hay
been loaded with. was stark alone
you remember, having been sent on
by certain spectators in Denver.
was "heeled" with all the weapons
cared to lug, and as for grub, wa
expected to furnish myself.
Skipping several close shaves from
losing my scalp, and several accident
which brought me face to face will
death. let me tell you of a curious bat
tie which 1 had the good luck to wit
ness. 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 q
lodging house, because it offered me a
secure retreat from the Indians. There
were plenty of the red around, and ]
moved about in constant dread of feel
ing their bullets.
During the first two nights l was
undisturbed, but on the third l heard
the ''woosh!' of grizzly about bed
time. and the brute prowled about the
neighbOrhood half the night. 1 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 l 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 was astir be-
fore sunrise, and soon got on the
tract of Old Ugly. He had gone to the
west, and had not followed his trail
over 500 feet when 1 found a beaten
path leading up and down. 1t was
doubtless the old gentleman's private
roadway, and had seemingly been used
for months. l followed it for about
half a mile, and it then took sudden
turn around ledge or mass of rocks
about fifteen feet high. Believing l
was pretty near "home," and not wish
ing to walk in on anybody without
warning, ! climbed the ledge instead
of 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 a smell no
other reptile has, and it makes you
powerful sick, without any time wasted.
Well, dozen or more great rattlers
crawled away as advanced, and 1 saw
them disappear on the other side of the
ledge. 1 was on rocky shelf jutting
out of the mountain. The distance
across was about twenty feet. 1 got
down on hands and knees and crept to
the far edge and looked out from be-
hind boulder. 1t was well that l
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 a good rest for my Win
chester, and even a poor shot could
)ut two bullets into his head before
le could open his eyes. But 1 didn't
hoot. While l was making ready to,
/ full dozen rattlesnakes went gliding
lOwn the path toward the bear They
ooked ugly and defiant, but perhaps
would have passed him by if he had
emained quiet. He lay to one side
# the trail, and as the snakes neared
i'm he gave an uneasy roll and ut
cred a snore. Quicker than creased
ghtning every snake coiled and rat
led, and one darted forward and struck
he old chap in the hind leg.
Then a circus commenced. As the
ear sprang up with a fierce growl,
he snakes divided and about half Of I
hem passed him. This put him be-
ween two fires. He seemed dazed I
)r a moment, but soon began striking /
ut with bis claws and uttering such
rowls as sent chills up and down my I
pine. He woke up a bad party in J
lose rattlers. They were spelling +
'r fight, and went in to kill. The O
ght was scarcely begun before anoth- e
dozen snakes wriggled out of crev- n
es and hurried down as reinforce T.
ents
The bear at up on end and struck :
ght and left, disabling several of the :,
rpents inside of two minutes, but it y
as plain that he had no heart for the = :
yht The poison of the first bite was y
'obably taking the courage out of \
m.
The battle lasted about five min 81
es, at the end of which time Old 81
gIy began to whine like three-year- C
boy. He wanted to get away, and al
ceased to strike. When he did fin al
y bolt down the path, half a dozen Sc
ttlers wero clinging to him, and he A
As the worst-whipped bear in the 81
eat and glorious West. te
Waiting about half an hour. de- y,
ended from my perch and followed W
e path. At the end of quarter Of W
nile found him lying dead, and hi
. body was so puffed up that it al
aid not have been crowded into the g,