Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-02-25

three feet wide. and only one Indian
could come in at n time.
They did not exactly understand the
situation and were eager to overhaul
me. A. turned at bay, the foremost
Indian was entering the drift. While
he was looking into the darkness | was
looking toward the light. and the first
shot from my revolver pierced his brain
and killed him rs dead rs a stone. As
he fell tirrd again, and wounded the
warrior behind him. knew this from
the way the fellow yelled out. II was
wonderful how quick their enthusiasm
cooled down. They had holcd me up,
but at the same time discOYcrcd that Twas
not dcfcnSeleSs. Their safety obliged
them to get out of range, and in doing
this they could not shoot into the drift
and hit me with chance bullet
All now became rs silent ~ death,
and not move was made for quarter
Of an hour had made a temporary
escape. bu, by no means congratulated
myself that they would abandon their
efforts. How far back the drift cN-
tended had no means Of knowing.
and instead of seeking to ascertain.
crept to within ten feet Of the mouth.
had a Winchester and two rcvolyerS,
and could have killed Indians all day
long had they sought to enter the drift.
But one warning was enough. They
knew of a safer way to get at me.
BY and by heard the cracking OF
flames and smclled smoke, and directly
after that heap of burning brush wa,
pushed TO the entrance of the drift,
with long pole. They were going to
smoke me out! confess to making
up my mind that my hours were num-
bered, but | had given way to despair
too soon. The draught of the drift wa
outward into the chamber, rs might
have been expected, and not whit Of
smoke could be- driven in at me. The
game was soon abandoned for another
A rock large enough to furnish cover
for an Indian was rolled to the mouth
of the drift. and redskin got behind il
and began firing into my cover BY re-
treating few feet and lying Hat down
was safe from his bullets. He fired
siSty-eight times before he hauled OIL,
They couldn't say that | had been
killed. and the proper way to prove
that hadn't been was TO send war
rior in with lighted torch to ask me.
He had scarcely entered the drift when
/ banged into him, and dropped him.
He fell so near the mouth that his COM
panions sought to draw him out. and
wounded one of them in the arm.
had killed two and wounded two,
and knew that not over four sound
ones remained. was wondering il il
wouldn't be the best plan to dash out
at them with my revolvers. when 4
series of yellS, shouts. screams and
growls filled the chamber beyond me.
Then followed five or six shots. more
growls and yclls, and as | kept my eye
on the opening | caught glimpse OF
grizzly bear and n warrior strug'
Cling. Iafive minutes from the first
sound there was no other noise than
that of low growing and the click OF
claws on the rocky floor.
What had happened' / had run into
the den OF the bears seen in the morn
ing. and the Indians had followed. The
bears had come homo from their morn
inc walk. and the result must have
been disastrous to the Indians. Al
though fully realizing the feroeious
nature of the animal, l was not as
fearful Of him as l had been Of the In.
dams. A full-grown grizzly could
hardly squeeze his way down the drift,
and was certain to kill him IL he tried
TO.
After a bit l crept carefully forward
until | could see into the chamber. II
was a sight to make one sick. Two
bears Law dead on the floor. and third
was lying on his belly and licking the
blood which flowed from several
wounds. But others had suffered
more. had two dead Indians in the
drift and five Others lay in the cham
ber-bitten. clawcd and torn until the
spectacle was hideous one to gaze
upon. There was blood everywhere
and upon everything. and pieces OF
bloody flesh were mingled and mixed
with patches Of Indian dress and tire
arms.
While stood looking at the horrors
the wounded bear rose up with fierce
growl and attacked the corpses. His
hurts drove him mad, and he wanted
revenge ON the dead. saw him put q
paw ON the breas, of an Indian. seize
the throat in his teeth. and at one sim
ole wrench he tore the head from the
body. He seized another by the leg
inst above the knee. and l heard the
bones crush like glass as his teeth shut.
He ierked and twisted two or three
times. and the leg was torn OF.
II was the frenzy of death. As The
bear bit and tore at one Of the corpses
he suddenly tottered. braced his legs
and then sank down and rolled over
and soon breathed his last. was SO
spellbound that it was two or three
minutes before I could move. The
spectacls was even more horrible when
/ stepped out and secured a stronger
light, and directly my nerves were so
unstrung of what had occurred thai l
rushed out Of the cave in the open air.
As l gained the outside 1t struck me
tba, the Indians had doubtless left one