Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-15

They had holed me up. but had at the
same time discovered that | was not de-
fenseless. 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 as silent as death. and
not move was made for quarter OF an
hour. had made temporary escape,
but by no means congratulated myself that
thew would abandon their efforts. How
far back the drift extended had no means
of knowing, and instead of seeking to as
certain, crept to within ten feet OF the
mouth. had Winchester and two re-
volvers, and could have killed Indians all
dav long had they sought to enter the
drift. But one warning was enough.
They knew of safer way to get at me.
By and by l heard the cracking of
flames and smelled smoke, and directly
after that a heap of burning brush was
pushed into the entrance of the drift with
a long pole.$ They were going to smoke
me out l confess to making up my mind
that nv hours were numbered, but had
given away to despair too soon. The
draught of the drift was outward into the
Oh amber, as might have been expected.
in at me. The game was soon abandoned
for another. A rock large enough to fur
nish cover for an Indian was rolled to the
mouth of the drift, and redskin got be-
hind it and began firing into my cover.
By retreating few feet and lying flat
down | was safe from his bullets. He
fired sixty-eight times before he hauled
off. They conldn't say that | had been
been killed, and the proper way to prove
that | hadn't been was to send warrior
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 companions
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 re-
manned, was wondering if it wouldn't
be the best plan to flash out at them with
my revolvers, when series of wells,
shouts, screams and growls filed the
chamber beyond me. Then followed five
or six shots, more growls and yells, and
as kept my eyes Oh the opening caught
a glimpse of a grizzly bear and a warrior
struggling. In five 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? l had run into
den of bears seen in the morning, and the
Indians had followed. The bears had
come home from their morning walk and
the result must have been disastrous to
the Indians. Although fully realizing
the ferocious nature of the animal, | was
not as fearful of him as had been of the
Indians. A full grown grizzly could
hardly squeeze his way down the DRIFT
and was certain to kill him if he tried
to.
After bit crept carefully forward I'M
til could see the chamber. 1t was
sight to make one sick. Two bears lay
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 In
dams in the drift and five others lay in the
chamber-bitten, clawed, 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 firearms.
While stood looking at the horrors
the wounded bear rose up with fierce
growl and attacked the rorpses. His
hurts drove him mad, and he wanted re-
venge on the dead. saw him put paw
on the breast OF an Indian seize the throat
in his teeth, and at one single wrench he
tore the head from the body. He seized
another by the leg, Just above the knee,
and heard the bones crush like glass as
his teeth shut. He jerked and twisted two
: nd ha To- Of
1t was the frenzy of death. As the bear
bit and tore at one of the corpses he sud
denly tottered, braced his legs and then
sunk down and rolled over, and soon
breathed his last. | was so spellbound
that it was two or three minutes before |
could move. The spectacle was even more
horrible when | stepped out and secured
a stronger light, and directly my nerves
were so unstrung at the recollection of
what had occurred that | rushed out of
the cave into the open air. As | gained
the outside it struck me that the Indians
had doubtless left one of their number to
watch the horses. As | went down the
ravine determined, if this was the case,
to attack him, with the hope of wiping
out the whole party.
When crept out of the ravine another
bloody spectacle awaited me. The Indian
ponies had been hobbled to prevent them
from wandering away, and none OF the
party had been left in charge. The griz-
lilies had come upon the horses first. and
every one of them was dead on the grass
and horribly mutiated. They had not
been killed to satisfy hunger, but to graf
ity ferocious whim.
After few hours, during which time
| returned to my own camp, to find every
thing safe. re-entered the cave and Sc
cured the firearms of the dead redskins
The stuff at the camp fire consisted of
blankets, robes, ammunition and powder
While none of the party were in war
paint, there was nothing to prove that
they were out on a hunt. Thew had per-
haps, detected from some march to dis
cover what had caused the smoke.
Four weeks later. when party of hunt
ers from Boise City. headed by Capt
Hall, stumbled on me, turned over to
them, as relics of the singular three
cornered fight, the bows and arrows, the
claws of the grizzlies, two full suits of
buckskin, three scalps of white men. and
enough pipes. beads. knives. charms and
feathers to start museum. These relics
are still on exhibition in the sheriff. office
at Boise City, and bear witness that have
given you truthful narrative.