Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-01-20

cliff into which man on horseback could
have entered, while the width was all of
twenty feet. dashed into the place to
find myself in large chamber. The light
was very dim, ltlt saw two drifts lead
ing off from this further into the noun
tain. was after secure hiding place.
and dashed into the right hand drift
without moments hesitation.
The Indians were so close on my heels
as | entered the dark drift that the fore
most one opened fire with his revolver,
and the whole pack yelled like Gcnds,
The reader who has seen the entrance to
II coal minc slanting into the darkness
frSm the start, can form an idea Of the
drift | had plunged into. The grade
was very steep, and the bottom so rough
that fell down twice in going twenty
five feet. That was as far as | went. The
drift was not over three feet wide, and
only one Indian could come in at Il time.
They did not exactly understand the
situation, and were eager to overhaul me.
As | 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 as dead as n stone. AS he fell |
fired again, and wounded the warrior
behind him. ! knew this from the way
the fellow yelled out. It was wonderful
how quick their enthusiasm cooled down.
They had holcd me up, but at the same
time discovered that | was not defence
less Their safety obliged them to get
out of range, and in doing this they
could not shoot into the drift and hit
me with a 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 rlcans congratulated
myself that they would abandon their
efforts. How far back the drift extend
ed had no means of knowing, and in
stead of seeking to ascertain, | crcpt to
within ten feet of the mouth. | had II
Winchester and two rcvolvcrs, and could
have killed Indians all day long, had
they sought to cnt r 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 smelled smoke, and directly
after that heap of burning brush wa )
pushed to the entrance of the drift with
long pole. They were going 20 'moke
me out! confess to making up my
mind that my hours were numbered, but
| had given way to despair too soon, The
draught Of the drift was outward into the
chamber, as might have been expected,
and not a Whit of smoke could be driven
in at me. The game was soon abandoned
for another. A rock large enough to fur
nish cover for IN Indian was rolled to the
mouth of the drift, and n rcdskin got be-
hind it and began firing into my cover.
BY rctrcating few feet and lying flat
down | was safe from his bullets. He
fired sixty-cight times before he hauled
Off They couldn't say that had been
killed, and the proper way to prove that
hadn't been was to send Il warrior in
with lighted torch to ask nc. He had
scarcely entered the drift when hanged
into him. and dropped him. He fell 50
near the mouth that his companions
sought to draw him out, and wounded
one of them in the arm.
Ihad killed two and wounded two, and
knew that not over four sound ones re-
NAMED. | was wondering if it wouldn't
be the best plan to dash out at them with
my rcvovcrs, when II series of yclls,
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 a grizzly bear and 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
the den of the 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 realizing the
fcrocious nature of the animal, | was not
as fearful of him as had been of the In
dians. A (ull-grown grizzly could hard
ly squeeze his way down the drift, and |
was certain to kill him if he tried to.
After u bit | crcpt carefully forward
until | could see into the chamber. 1t
was sight to make enc sick. Two bears
lay dead on the floor and a third was
licking the blood which flowed from scv-
cral wounds. But Others had suffered
more | had two dead Indians in the
drift and five others lay in the chamber
bitten, clawcd, and tom until the spcctn-
Gle was Il hidcous one to gaze upon. There
was blood everywhere and upon every
thing, and pieces oi bloody flesh were
mingled and mixed with patches of In
dian dress ana tirea" ).
While | stood looking at the horrors
the wounded bear rose up with fierce
groHl and attacked the corpscs. His
hurts drove him mad, and he wanted
revenge on the dead. | saw him put n
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.
lie seized another by the leg, just above
the knee, and | heard the bones crush
like glass as his teeth shut. He jcrkcG
and twisted two or three times, and the