Nevada County picayune., 1888-01-11


 iorced to seek shelter until I knew what the Indians purposed do- ing.
 The redskins were coming up The valley at a slow pace, and 1 had entered the gulch about half an hour before they were opl.o. ste my camp. Standing at thr month ot the gulch 1 could see them very plainly, From their movements 1 judged hey had ncv "r been Ill the valley before, or a, feast not as high Hp. While they were not booking for signs of white men, and had no suspicious of my presence, their lawk-eyes made d discovery s0on They ran on tu a footprint, all overturned stoi.c. or some other proof of the prrSenGr ot human being, and d moment later they sweryed across the val ley and entered the very tlickrst where my mule was concealed. was III for it now. The discovery of the mule would put them on to me, and the three hunters after game would become three warri- ors after my scalp. I instantly abandoned all hope of saving any of my property and started off up the gulch to make my escape through the range.
 lt was rough, dark place had got into. lu no place was the rift over ten feet wide, while it mar roWed here and there to four or five. It's sides were almost per pendicular. and had not gone over three hundred feet before cam0 to the end. It was what is known as false. ,.canyon," extend  ing only q little way into the mouu- tain instead of cutting through it. In the twilight which prevailed down there l ran plump up against mass of rock in the path, and when ! had burned match or two 1 fully realized the situation. was ill q trap. It was not likely that the Indians yet knew of my loca- lion. They knew that one or more white men were in the valley, but could not tell just where. IL was morning, you remember, and be- fore the night came they would know all about it. They would creep and dodge and reconnoitre. and before noon they would be certain that they had only one man 10 deal with. Any attempt 10 leave by way of the valley would be checkmated, and would not get out at the upper end without going over the wild and rugged monntainS. shonld, however, have returned to the mouth of the gulch to try some other way, but while l Was burning last match l  heard great chatter on the rocky bed of the rift few yards off, Believing the Indians to be com ing, l looked swiftly around for some place of conccalment or ad- vantage, and to my right l saw a hole in the rocks. In three jumps l was at the spot, aud ten seconds later 1 had crawled into the hole on hands and knees. The minute l got my nose inside l smelt bear. Indeed, the odor was strong enough to stitle me. knew also that l had entered den or cave of considerable extent, and l hastily struck match 10 look around me. It was d cave. While the entrance was very narrow, the chamber was at least eight by twelve in size, and high enough for me to stand up in.
 It required only few seconds to take in what l have told you, and the match had just expired when 1 heard sniff and a "woot" at tho entrance. and l not only smelt bear, but l heard him. He had his head in the hole. and l whirled my rifle about and fired into his face. The roar he uttered shook the solid rock of the cavern, and he drew back, tumbled about ip the gulch for two CT three minutes, and then made of, whining with pain and growing with anger as he wcnt.- When l could hear him no more, | lighted another lnatch and look ed for hairs on the rocks. They were there in plenty, and they were proofs that 1t was cinna- mon bear whom had turned ont O. house and home. There was d ,ou,lo of loosa rocks on the floor