The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-03-04

BIT RattIesuai<es swarm ArovId q
Zig Rear and Kill Him.
Kin a years after tho Custer mas
was prospecting in the Black
VI aud | tell YOU that keeping a
Up for Indians. rattlesnakes,
bears. outlaws, and ''indiea-
was all the work one man
have been loaded with. ! was
|llone. You remember, having
fnt out by certain Spectators in
was 'heeled' with all the
Hls that feared TO lug, and as for
,Cwas expected 10 furnish my
Epping several close shaves from
my scalp. and several accidents
brought me face to face with
let me tell you of a curious
IN which | had the good luck 10
talktss. i had been camping or lodg-
ars!t a cave in one of the ruggedest
kRidtains nature ever made. | found
accident, and | turned it into a
.,ag-house, because it offered me 3
retreat from the Indians. There
plenty of the red devils around,
moved about in constant dread
ing their bullets.
Ing the first two nights | WAS un-
Ebcd. but Oh the third heard the
bshr' of grizzly about bedtime,
the Internal brute prowled about
~ kneighborh0od half the night
ID spa he could get my scent. but was
uabNr To- locate me. Once he APP
reached Within twenty feet of the
louih CT inY den and stood there for
"a minutes aud shifted and snufled
ad growled until ] was in = cold
seat He went away after a time,
ft | didn't sleep more than az hour
~ that hight. Next morning / was
tir before sunrise. aud soon got on
e track of Old Ugly. lie had gone
asY~nt'west, and | had not followed his
pen3vcr 500 feet when j found a
WI path leading up and down. It
1fy sloubriesS ahc old gentleman 5
m roadway, and had seemingly
enc used for months. | followed il
{ SHOUT half miie, and then took
bse-idcn turn around ledge or mass
tysbcks about fifteen feet high Be-
Wing | was pretty near "home," and
81 wishing 10 .walk in on anybody
ptsoiit warming climbed the ledge
stead OF keeping the path. L had
LARGELY reached the top when 1 heard
= s,rr-r-ri and at the same instant got
~ cent of rattlesnakes. You just get
Inc green cucumber scent once and
|ull never forget it! It's smell no
her reptile has, and it makes you
5werfull sick, without any time
asted
Well dozen or more great rattlers
'awled away as l advanced, and saw
lem disappear on the other side Of the
dgc. j was on rocky shelf jutting
N OF the mountain. The distance
cross was about twenty feet. / got
own or my hands and knees and
.fpt to the far edge and looked out
.5hi behind bowldcr, 1t was well
Ia l.had been. cautions. Below me,
nd not thirty feet way, lay my old
rizzly. fast asleep Hc was on the
road Of his back, legs up, and when
" eyes fell upon his long, steel-likc
avs | no longer wondered how he
ss able TO tear the carcass of deer
20 shreads at few strokes.
had the OLD chap dead TO rights.
here was a good rest for my Winches-
n, and even q poor shot. could put
go bullets into his head before he
,nld open his ewes. But / didn't
loot. While | was making ready to a
Ill dozen rattlesnakes went gliding
,wn the path toward the bear. They
oked ugly aud defiant, but perhaps
ouid have passed him by If he had
mained quiet. lie lay 10 one side OF
e trail. and as the snakes nearcd him
, gave an uneasy roll and uttered
lore Quicker than CREASED lightning
Tery snake coiled and ratified, and one
srtcd forward and struck tho old chap
the hind leg.
Then circus commenced. As tho
ar sprang up with u fierce growl, tine
akcs divided and about half of them
lssed him This put him between
10 fires, He seemed dazed for q mo-