, 1886-05-21
l. BAR TRACK.
The Mountain bear Trap--A Desperate
Struggle.

nv II
as Bar Track" Jack is one Of the Oldest
and most noted hunter of the Rocky
mountains, bear hunting being his spe
cialty as his sobriquet indicates. The old
man looked a little rougher than the shaggy
mountain brutes whose pursuit is the main
business of his adventurous life.
Long, shaggy, iron gray hair hung far
down his shoulders. mingling with an un
kempt mass of beard, a buckskin hunting
shirt, long shorn of its original fringes,
and slippery with the accumulated grease
and dirt of countless bear skinnings aud
camp fires, was covered with an elk hide
vest, and over that was a coat comprising
portions and patches of the hides of vari-
GUS mountain animals.
The old hunter bore upon his weather
beaten and rugged cheek, a wide and livid
scar, beginning below the eye and bury
ing itself in the thicket of beard that Gov
cred the lower part of his face. This
mountain memento, with It's grim sug-
g~cstions was scarcely healed, and still
seemed to glow and burn with the hot
flush Of close and deadly fight. The old
man was nothing 10th To tell the reporter
the story vi the scar. and Il thrilling nara
tive was listened to.
Some three months ago, Bar Track"
was camped on a smlll stream Of the lie
ton basin. IN the midst ofthe Snake River
mountains. He had been trapping a few
beaver during the winter, and occasionally
amusing himself shooting a mountain lion.
The time was near, however, when the
bear would be coming out Of the holes
where they had spent he winter rolled up
in huge balls. As jack wanted several
hides at once for a particular purpose, he
proceeded at once to the construction oi
some timber traps. These traps are made
from heavy logs and are nearly CONF lii e
in shape. They are built to the height
of twelve feet, gradually contracting to
ward the top. Here an opening four or
FIVE feet across is left, and is reached by
two or more poles at an easy angle from
background.
Across the aperture is constructed a
falling door. On the door is placed a
chunk Of fresh meat, and when the bear.
lion or wolf who gets there first asccnds
the inclined poles and steps upon the door
to secure the meat, he at once finds him
self on the ground, at the bottom OF the
trap. The peculiar construction Of the
trap renders it impossible for any animal,
however active, to climb out, and the
captive brute can only gaze hopelessly and
helplessly at the opening above, and
await his death at the hands of his captor.
Bar Track soon had several of those
traps in readiness and one evening he
sailed out to examine his bats. The first
trap he reached contained a gigantic silver
tip bear. The powerful and savage brute
was making frantic efforts to crawl up the
contracting sides OF the trap, and was
giving vent to deep growls of rage anC
fear. Jack crawled up on top of tn,
prison and gazed down at his captive
Though gaunt from his long winter fast
the silver tip was a dangerous customer
and his fierce eyes met those of the huntol
with a decided let me get. at him look.
The hunter watched him for awhile and
then put a bullet in him, aiming at his
head. The bear rolled over to the shot,
and Jack, rigging the rope he used to
climb in and out OF the trap, descended.
Scarcely had he touche | the ground than
he was in the powerful and savage clutch
| of the silver tip. The animal had only
been stunned by the bullet and was now
on hand to wreak vengeance.
Infuriated by its wound, and doubly
savage by reason OF its long winter fast,
the bears assault was Irresistible, and the
next instant Jack was rolling about the
narrow space in that terrible embrace. In
an instant his clothing was torn into
shreds and his flesh furrowcd by deep
gashcs. Rcalizing, however that his only
chance was in killing his enemy, the en-
trapped trapper struggled desperately.
Drawing his hunting knife lie made good
use of it, planting ten inches of steel in
the body OF his ferocious fue. The next
instant the blade was knocked from his
grasp, and he heard it ring against the
logs far up the side of the trap. And
now came a struggle on the part of the
hunter for the mere p%rolongation Of ex
%istence.
Satisfied that he must die, he was no
going to do 50 until it was absolutely nee
essary. Keeping close to the bear, h,
warded off his strokes as best HI
could. and prevented the full u,
Of the fatal hind claws
But his strength was rapidly going. Ill
was wounded deep and sore in man,
places and was firally cast heavily to tn
ground with the savare tushes oi the sill
yer tip deeply imbedded in one OF hi
shoulders. As he fell, however, his RICH
hard came in violent contact with a hur,
object on the bottom of the trap. 1t wa
his knife. With a last effort OF strength
and courage. he caught up the stee! an,
drove it through the ribs of his ter. ibl
enemy.
Thea came a blank, and when conscious
ness returned the frost OF the mountain
mnrninV wns thick upon him T,Selv,