St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-13

It WAS a Lucky shot Which Broke
| UP the Foe and saved the Hunt
er's Life.
At one place, just where the end of an
unusually large dam was joined to the high
bank. / discovered the structure of what |
| took to be an abandoned beaver ''house "
| built in the angie formed by the dam and
| bank. says contributor to the Youths
| Companion. relating an adventure on
Beaver creek, near the Black Hills. 1t
was now but huge pile of dry willows and
| brush, from out of which the floods and
| high water had long since washed
| the mud, cone-shaped on the side next
the water. Evidently it had been bull;
when the dam next below backed its pond
up even above the foot Of this one, fOl
there was dark. cave-like space under it,
apparently left so that its aquatic inhabi-
tants might dive down from above and
enter by hole or holes in the bottom.
| walked across on the dam. leaving my pail
of currants in the brush on the other side,
and scrambled down, determined to exam
inc the inside of this house. if, as it looked
from across the creek, there was room
enough to get under and see its interior. |
had Just taken off my shoes and stockings
and stepped into the shallow water. how
ever, when series of alarming sounds is
suing from the brush not far distant,
brought me to standstill and sent thrill
of sudden fright along my nerves.
First there was rugged scramble and
rush through the willows. then sounds of
a scuffe, then hoarse below! A fight
between two wild animals of some kind
was in progress close at hand | made sure,
and an instant's listening convinced me
that the brutes were coming in my drec-
ton, and coming fast, too. could hear
them crashing through the brush. putting
and wheeling. They were not many rods
distant when the thought came to me to
take refuge under the beaver house-and |
made a most expeditions retreat to this
cover. By doubling up and crOucnng low
down l found that l could crawl
back for some distance into, or.
rather, beneath it. The water
was several inches deep. but the bottom
was hard and gravelly. had barely got
under cover when there was sound of
falling bodies and a splash in the bed of
the creek just below, and peering out l
saw two powerful grizzled gray beasts
locked in a desperate grip, struggling
fiercely together in the water. 1t was a
savage spectacle, one that | do not care to
witness again at such close quarters They
were bears; there was 40 room for doubt
on that point, and fearfuLy large ones.
They had their gret Unlike legs grpped
around each other. and were rolling
over and over in the creek bed,
tearing, biting, splasAng mud and
water, and growing all the time.
But the fight only lasted few minutes.
One of the bears, getting the worst of it.
suddenly tore himself loose and dashed off
down the creek into the pond below. To
my surprise and alarm. the other did not
give chase. but looking after his antago-
mist for a moment as he swan OF he
turned, with an angry shake of his huge
body. and came up the shallow stream
directly toward my cover. AS he came on
he glanced at the old house. as il disposed
to MAKE use of it as stairway, by means
of which lie might reach the top of the
rt1ep bank from which be hao jumped or
tua bled but moment before. Then sud
denly sceating me, he cast down his head
and discovered my lurking place.
What a jump my heart gave then, as that
great beast stopped short, with loud sniff
of SURPRISE! had revolver In my hand,
but did not fire at once, as waited to see
if the creature might not take the alar
and make of. His hair BEGAN to rise and
he sent forth horrible crew.. AS he bris-
tied. he drew I'D stiff. and was plainly
about to make dash to pull me out. l
could see that purpose SUCKING ou all ever
him, as he stood growing. raised my re-
viewer, and, taking as good aim at his head
! as the state of nay nerves would permit
fred it. The bear sprang back at the shot