St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-06-02
NEGRO VERSUS BEAR.
How Colored Servant Saved His
Masters Life.

"You may like to know what this
bear claw has got to do with my opin-
ion of niggers," remarked D. I. Kirk.
I ley, in his unvarnished Chicago style,
as, in the Palace Hotel recently, he ex.
hibited to Chronicle reporter talon
that, for length, edge and fearsome
ugliness, might have been plucked
from the tabled fangs of the arch fiend.
Tee reporter was certainly DESTROYS
to learn what connection there existed
in tie mind of the Chicago capitalist
with extensive California interests, be-
tween the cruel claw and the colored
citizen. SO his reply was naturally:
Eyes, indeed"
II believe now that the 'colored
troops fought bravely, - resumed Mr..
Kirkley, cor if they didn't that they
can. This claw is from silver-tipped
grizzly that weighed ton, and carry
the trophy both to remind me of the
most thrilling experience of my life
and as a substantial protest against al
future question of the black mans
fighting caliber. I own about twenty
thousand acres of foothill land in Las
sen County, which I consider rich in
both mineral and timber. l concluded
to visit the region early this year to
see if the melting SHOWS sWelled the
streams sufficiently for log booming in
the spring. My friend, L. K. Curtis,
of Richmond, Va, accompanied me.
He is rich and has speculative eye on
this country. We determined to min
gle pleasure with business, and put in
a week or more in the hills after big
game. Accordingly we equipped our
selves in true sportsman fashion, with
an assortment of rifles and fowling-
pieces suitable to the various quarry
we might seek. My friend Curtis, I
want to say on the quiet, is fellow of
considerable affectation, and one of his
most prominent foibles lives and
breathes in the person of a negro body
servant. This attendant is tall, fine
framed and exceedingly black negro
of the most marked type Of his race,
with small, round head, heavy brows,
flat nose, thick, turned-out lips-alto-
gether strengthening fellow. was
rather annoyed at the creatures pres
ence, until found him scrupulously
attentive, polite, discreet, jovial, and
a typical, well-bred Virginia servant.
He bore the simple, single name Of
Dan.
We left the train at Reno, and there
bought team and substantial wagon
for our northWard journey through a
rough region Of nearly two hundred
miles. | will spare you the details Of
the trip and other matters Of trade and
diversion in which we engaged. as this
is essentially a bear story. One day,
and, as you will readily believe when I
finish, the last day Of our stay in the
country, we set out from our camp in
the hills for tour through neighbor-
ing gorge that we had previously OBJ
served to abound in grouse. We had
shot half-dozen whitc-tailed deer,
and Curtis was cherishing the antlers
of fine caribou that it had been his
exclusive good fortune to bring down.
So we thought that there would be suf-
ficient amusement that day in bagging
a few birds. We set out, each armed
with a sixteen gauge shotgun carrying
very small shot. We flushed perfect
clouds Of grouse as we proceeded, Bind
knocked them over as fast as we cared
to. Dan followed with the bag, into
which he gathered the spoil that was
fast loading him down. He was, in
fact. somewhat overladen, as he car
ried in addition Winchester rifle.
with sixteen heavy cartridges in its
magazine. to supply his master in the
Observation-Disclosures chance for veni-
son. 1t was because of his heavy bur-
den that, as we turned mp the sloping
side of the grade with view Of re-
turning to camp by the shorter, though
more arduous cut over the ridge Dan
fell far behind.
We had a steep climb of about four
hundred et,which ], in advance, made
with lowered head, Curtis pressing me
closely. I would have made the top in
this pushing fashion had I not been
reused midway by an ominous noise in
advance. / halted and glanced up
warl. Within twenty yards of me,
reared on his launches and scratching
his stomach with his fore-paw as he
eyed us contemplatively, was a huge
bear. His size. and the snowy dashes