Wichita eagle., 1888-03-03

struck match to look around me. 1t
was q cave. While the entrance was
very narrow the chamber was at least
eight by twelve in size, and high enough
for me stand up in.
1t required only few seconds to take
in what have told you, and the match
had just expired when heard sniff and
''woofr' at the entrance, and not only
smelt bear, but heard him. He had his
head in the hole, and l whirled my rifle
about and fired right into his face. The
roar he uttered shook the solid rock OF the
cavern, and he drew back, tumbled around
in the gulch for two or three minutes ana
then made off, whining with pain and
growing with anger as he went. When 1
could hear him no more lighted another
match and looked for hairs on the rocks.
They were there in plenty, and they were
proofs that it was cinnamon bear whom
had turned out of house and home.
/ There were a couple of loose rocks on the
/ floor of the den, and the first move made
was to roll them up and block the en-
! trance. While they did not fill the aper-
! ture. thew created an obstruction which
neither man nor bear could remove While
! l was behind them.
In about twenty minutes the bear re-
turned, accompanied by his mate, and for
the next half hour they made lively work
( for me. They were fiercely determined to
/ get at me, and, as / did not wish to dis
! charge my rifle again, for fear the report
would be heard by the Indians, had to
resist them by jamming their heads with
the muzzle The brutes gave it up at last
as bad job, but while the well one went
away the wounded one lay down exactly
/ in front of the entrance and licked his
wounds and uttered low growls. He had
put himself on guard, and he meant to
stay by until he had had revenge. / had
hastily gathered up q small quantity OF
provisions when / left camp, and. though
| had no water, | should not suffer much
for couple of days. The only thing /
could do was to make myself as comfort
able as possible and wait for something to
turn up. / cared very little about the
bears. knowing that could kill them of
q at any time. but the Indians were to be
seriously considered They would leave
no stone unturned to find my hiding place,
Z and once they found me, situated as l then
was, was a dead man.
There was no change in the situation
until about SHUTDOWN, when the other beal
returned. and q second attempt was made
to get at me. They were so determined
that had to use my revolver, firing foul
shots, and, while neither of them was
killed, both We're driven to fury by thu
wounds The one went off as before
while the other lay down at the mouth 0.
the den, and the night passed withort dis
turbaace. l slept pretty well for maj
IL q bears den. bur awc!le just as day
light was fiiIering down into the gulch
1t was a fierce roar from the bear which
aroused ne. | thought his mate had re
turned and that another attempt was t.
be made on my defenses, but was quick.
set right The bear started down tn
gulch, and inside of q minute L hear'
shots and shouts. Then the roars of
second bear were heard, and for fiv
minutes there was terrible cOmmOtlon
hundred feet below me. / could see darl
shadows struggling together, and l knew
the shouts came from Indians, but l wa
not clear in the matter until the day grey
stronger and the fight was over. Then
made out heap of dead.
1t was q good hour before l pulled ava
the rocks and crawled out. had figure
that the Indians had trailed me up tn
gulch and been attacked by the bears, an
was right. | simply waited TO be sur
that all were dead. W hen l flnally crer
cautiously down to the heap found til
two bears and three Indians in pile, an
each and all were growing cold in deatf
The bears had been shot and Stable
again and again, but the redskins were
sight to see The flesh had literally bee
stripped off their bones, and one of then
whose body pulled out for the purpos
of examination, seemed to have ever
bone crushed, while his neck was ais
broken.
My mule had not been disturbed, nc
had they found my cache of furs. l too
the day to pack UP, and got ready for
long Journey, and when night came
headed for the fort. got through will
out even sighting redskin, and l ha
with me- rs every mar at the fort in lSt
will testify, the four Indian horses an
two Indian rifles in addition to my ow
outfit.-New York Sun.