, 1886-06-22
.oLD


$3.50 - "a 10 = al
"Old Timberlinc," the old time noun.
tain hunter and trapper, arrayed in smoke
stained, weather worn buckskin and badger
hide cap, recently passed through Chey-
enne to look once more upon the scenes Of
his childhood in the Arkansas swamps
Timberline's long iron gray hair is divided
by a broad, livid mark. running across the
head from ear to ear, giving the observer
a ghastly and most uncomfortable i'm
preston that the skull can be expected to
fall apart at any moment.
The old hunter, who has spent Il
greater portion of his days way up toward
the timber line of the Rocky mountains,
when questioned by the reporter as to the
ghastly laurel he so carelessly sported,
seemed much surprised that anyone
should think such a trivial matter worthy
of attention, but seeing that the scribe
was in earnest, very readily satisfied his
curiosity.
Timbcrline has worn the scar for the
last fifteen years, and it was inflicted by
the claws of a savage silver tip bear, in
the, as Timberline expressed it, ''mostest
powerful fight he ever helped at" Late
in the summer of 1871 Tmberline was
h~~-iias-ir "IackscE hole e deep basin
in the mountains on the Wyoming and
Idaho line. He had with him as a pack,
and occasional riding animal, a powerful
mule. One day he killed an elk, dressed
and hung it up in a tree, and returned to
camp after his mule to carry the meat in.
When he returned with the mule he no
ticed bar sign under the tree in which
hung the carcass of the elk, and was
nightly moved" to take the trail. as he
saw that the bear must be very large. 1t
was getting late in the day, however, and
determining to return in the morning and
run bruin to earth, he wended his way
campward with his elk meat. He was to
see bruin, however. much sooner than he
expected.
Timberline reached his camp, hung his
meat in a tree near his rude cabin, pick
eted his mule near by, AMI went to bed.
About midnight he was awakened by a
most ear splitting bray from the mule.
Hastily leaping from his blankets, lie
seized his rife and ran from the cabin
A bright moor was shining, and a singu-
lar sight met his eyes. The mule stood
with ears thrown forward and feet firmly
planted, and confronting it was an enor-
nous silver tip bear. Bruin was after the
elk meat, and the mule was directly in his
path.
Scarcely had the hunter taken in the
situation when the bear launched forward
his huge body in an attack on the mule.
Like the lightning flash the latter turned
ends and a pair of iron shod heels struck
the bear in the breast with the force of a
battering ram. Bruin turned a complete
back somerset. but arose with a perfect
yell Of rage and made another savage rush
at the plucky hybrid. This time he sue
ceeded in fastening his powerful grin upon
the mules hind quarters, and a desperate
struggle ensued. The mule finally sue
ceeded in kicking his a~ssailant loose, and
Timberline took a hand in the fight.
Coming up at the moment when the
bear was preparing for third attack, the
hunter fired at point blank range. The
ball took effect. but the bear at once
charged the hunter. The latter dubbed
his rifle to meet the onset, but it was at
once struck from his grasp and hurled far
to one side. A raking stroke by the saw
age claws followed, striking tho hunter on
the top Of the head, completely dividing
the scalp, tearing the forward moiety
loose, dragging it down over the eyes, and
hurting the hunter nearly senseless to the
ground.
But the gallant mule came to the res
cue, and the last fleeing remembrances of
Timberline, ere he lapsed into utter un-
consciousness. were of the hot breath of
the bear in his face, a wild vcngeiul bray,
and the thud of the heavy kicks his faith
full four footed comrade was pouring upon
bruin.
When consciousness returned to Tim
berline, the morning sun was shining
brightly, the bear was dead, literally
kicked to death, and the faithful and gal
liant mule, with an anxious droop to his
long cars, was wistfully gazing on his
PROSTATE master. The piece of scalp
torn loose from the hunters skull was re-
placed by the rude surgery of his own
hands, and when it healed left the wide
and livid scar to which is due the above
roc,tal Of thio oJvoptura