The Red Cloud chief., 1888-05-18
ROUTING 4 EEeR.
Eruin Trees n Cowboy with a Grin, But
Isetires in Discontinue.

Eetires in D~iscOmfi:urc
a cowboy tells the Fargo correspondent
Of the Minneapolis Tribune TINS bear story:
IL haven't time 10 tell you a long yarn to-
night, but VIII give you my first experience
with a bear. away back IN the early mining
days, when Helena was a mere mining
camp. and not large at that. had struck q
prospect pocket away up near the head OF
Lonesome gulch. and was working it alone.
Ihad 10 go down the gulch for my regular
grubstake one fine day in the fall of lS62.
Ny prospect was about seven miles from
Helena, and l had made a little over half
the distance on my way back, little dream
ing of bears or any thing else but my gold
pocket. which hadn't panned out as well as
Iexpectcd.
MY hcrSe was pretty wei loaded with
-four, bacon and other STUFF. and l had my
rife lying across the -four sack in front of
me. Nv horse seemed Ia be dreaming. as
! was. when out Of The brush into our path
walked Z great big bear. Ny horse gave q
snort and wheeled like a flash. throwing
ne into the brush IS he departed down the
trail As if al the bears III the country were
at his hec,s. l had no revolver ans my
rifle Was traveiing down the mountain.
MY knowledge OF bears was li,nitei.and
thai particular time was not anxious for
any new 2rggaintanceS IL that line. but not
50 the bear. lie seemed 20 regard me with
a friendly &c. for he boldly advanced. while
Imadn for = tree with al the speed that my
legs -vorc can-ble oE. The boar wanted 10
keen me company. far hc GOT 20 the foot OF
the tree b. the time | had gained 4 limb
about sEx feet from The ground. The tree
was Jus. ah51- sinai enough for thc fellow
to climb. ard be tried his claws or the bark
IS high as lie could reach. | Uas IA i bad fix
and no wy - help myself.
IL couldn'tuse 4 knife for I had none, but
good luck and = happy thought helped me. l
tad a c2ntccn of kerosene oil suspended
around ny neck. which 1 thought would
make his eyes sTlar and drive him away.
The oil had no effect on the eyes If II man
AGED 20 get INTO them. for the miserable
brute continued 20 LOOK up 1T me and
seemed To grin. Then another idea 90: into
NV head. 1 had a fresh box of matches,
and If | could set fire TO the oil that l poured
over the bears head the battle was won. i
made several attempts TO drop burning
matches on the oily hair Of the bear. but
the lucifcrs either went out or missed the
mark.
Il had no paper. but l managed to tear a
piece Of lining out Of my vest. and getting
alimb alrnos; three feet long fastened the
rag to il. set fire TO the rag; and with more
satisfaction than / ever did any thing since,
lowered the burning rag at the end of the
stick until within about three feet OF the
bears oil-soaked head and let it drop. In
about one second was enjoying all the fun
to myself. and the other fellow was In
trouble.
THE oil instantly took fire. and the blaze
from the burning hair was something good
for one in my place to gaze 1t. The animal
was surprised beyond the limit of any
bears imagination. One howl of pain, then
up went the paws TO rub the burning head
10 get burnt for their trouble, followed By
another howl: then down wentthe nose into
the dirt. but no relief, WHEN. with a terrible
howl. the bear made 4 rush through the
brush up the mountain out of sight
Wei. boys said Sullivan. 'you may
laugh al you're aImind to. but it will be
many a long day before you can enjoy any
thing as | did to sec that bear cut up so soon
after he thought that l WAS his meat. l
didn't wait long after the bear left. for his
hoTls Z. I'll: have called some OF his friends
around = see what was UP. l found most
q my provisions scattered down the Sulch
and ny horse in the Prickly Pear valley. 1
never mct any hunter or miner that found
my bear n ms travels. and 1 think the poor
cuss must have died. I'll see you all to-no--
rov; night and the old man had gone up
the bun 10 his cabin.
Tor Amateur I:ili;ardi>ts.
The orc -raat mistake I'll beginners make
IL billiards is TO study angles and curves
and taca. enter into a profound gcometrical
calculation OF results. You can never sue
coed that way. as there il not a man in the
business who knows the law of angles. Tho
first lesson should be to study force, and az
soon Is You have that under perfect control
il IS time enough to watch the way experts
make the more difficult shots. Theory is
worse than useless. and the science Of
curves. masses. draws and banks AL de.
pend On practice. Until a novice has hi.
vvris; under perfect control and knows to a
nicely what fierce 10 apply hc only wastes
his time and money IL trying to master the
game. 1t is Ike d fellow trying algebraic
,o,,x,G h.fa-n 10 ly.--e ,.r.sr,.~