Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1886-05-25

~ ARTIsTys ADVENTUREs. a
Halrbreadth Eseapcs of : Colorado Painter
Erom Wild BEASTS.


Mr.. A. p. Proctor, q very promising
young Colorado artist, whose works
have attracted great deal of attention
when exhibited here in Denver. is soon
TO 60 to New York for season. MANY
interesting incidents might be related
connecting with the lonely hunting ex-
periencos in which Mr. Proctor obtained
material for his work. At one time he
was following a mountain lion which
ho had crippled. The trail led him into
thlcket, and, in following il, he almost
stepped upon his game before he was
aware. The savage beast made at him
with an ugly growl. To retreat would
have been fatal. There was no time 10
parley. Tho lion had made ND his
mind. Prompt action was necessary.
Fortunately for Proctor, he had obeycd
one good maxim of hunters, viz:
Never 60 about with an unloaded
gum That good weapon was IN his
hand. Hc thrust the muzzle into the
wide open mouth Of the lion and blew
the top Of his head of. Then Proctor
sat down and had spell of the
shakes
Some one tells story of how Proctor
slipped up to a big bull elk, and taking
refuge in . clump Of small dead pines,
opened fire upon his game. The beast
gave q jump and q snort, and spving
his enemy lowered his huge horns,
started on dead run for the clump Of
trees, struck it like q Whirlwind, making
dead limbs tly In every direction. In
vain Proctor lodged about from one
part of the clump to another; the furious
bull followed him. The cartridge shell
had caught in Pr0ctor's gun and his
frantic efforts to reload were now
changed into frantic efforts to escape.
Tor the elk seemed determined to dis
lodge him from the pines and have it
out with him on open ground. Proctor,
on the other hand, preferred the pines,
and lively game Of sshide and SEEK
took place. The elk was fast getting
the best of him, when In watching the
movements OF the animal and retreatinr
pt the same time, Proctor ran accidental-
" into the top of fallen tree. This was
his salvation, for as the beast came AT
him with lowered horns, he dodQed
down and Crawled under the branches.
leaving his elkship cntangled upon the
other side. This advantage enabled
Proctor to reload and few well-directed
shots ended the battle. This was his
biggest elk and be felt Justly proud Of IT,
30 proud that he f0olishly attempted to
take the head into camp; SO strappino
his gun to his waist, he lifted the head
upon his back, the large horns sticking
over his shoulders and nearly touching
the ground and started home. He got
along very well until in climbing over
u fallen tree he lost his footing and
down he rolled, head, horns and all.
And he then INDUCED in an experience
something like that Of man having q
catch-as-oatch-ca wrestle with wheel
barrow. If the head had been animated
and attached to the original owner it
couldn't have been more vicious. Each
individual horn on those huge antlers
seemed to be charging on him. One
would give him wretched poke in the
ribs, another darted up and took him
under the chin, then came rap over
bis head, then came a gouge in the pit
Of the stomach, and anon one was
boring him in the back. Quiet being
restored at last, he crawled out from
under the horns and inspected the scene;
bA0 y nA y 80 xAOA MtAAAA&cMs hi1G EhcLCH~
book was all right, but he was covered
with bruises and scarcely able to walk.
At this juncturc he was aware that he
was an object Of interest to a large bear,
who had smelled fresh blood and con-
cluded to drop around. 70 shoot was
his first instinct, and he had the salts
faction of seeing the bear give a quick
jump and howl and whirl rapidly
around, biting himself. rolling on the
ground, turning somcrsaults and acting
crazy generally This programme the
bear quickly changed BY starting on a
bee line for our hunter Another shot
staggered him, but. amazed beyond
measure, he still came on, bent upon
having fight The next shot worsted
nim. He lay down with his nose BE-
tween bis paws and gave up the ghost.
Proctor sat still for half an hour. tremb-
ling like leaf. fearing to move or
shoot again, imagining that the beast
was playing possom. and fearing
that the next move might bring con-
test for which he felt III prepared; By
degrees his courage came back 70 him,
and. having tried several expcdienfs 10
awake the bear, left him for dead. and
Gmped into camp covered with bruises
and glory DenUer Nespe.