The Grenada gazette., 1888-07-05

further west, on the Columbia and its
branches, and only detached parties
were to be feared. While this was a
great burden off my mind, the bears
and panthers were so numerous that
was in state o' constant alarm through
the day, and dared not shut both eyes
to sleep at night. | had a pack and a
riding mule, and on the first night Of
my arrival, while l had bright fire
burning, and the animals were tethered
within stones throw, panther
sprang upon old Bob. my riding mule,
and clawed him in terrible way be-
fore | could get near enough to settle
him with bullet. Three or four bears
prowled around my camp all night, and
the screams of panther kept my eyes
wide open until daybreak. However,
after | had thinned out the colony by a
dozen or fifteen, the varmints began to
give me a rest.
On the tenth or eleventh day OF my
stay left camp at an early hour in the
morning loaded for bear. ! followed
the valley up for half mile, and then
turned into Il ravine which was the bed
of creek during the melting of snow.
1t ascended very gradually, and ! had
been following it for half an hour when
it took sharp bend to the right. At
| this point there was hole in the right
hand cliff, and rs halted to look at it
| ! wondered il it was not the home of
| some savage beast. | had moved on
about five hundred feet when IA grizzly,
which had been lying down among the
| broken rocks, suddenly rose before me.
| was locking for this kind, but his ap-
pearance was SO sudden and he showed
fight SO quickly that my heart was
beating altogether tho fast as pulled
| up for II shot. 1t had to be "a snap shot.
for not more than thirty feet separated
us. Mine was a singled-barreled rifle,
and | also had a knife and revolver.
The bullet struck bruin in the left
shoulder, and he sprung around a
dozen times like top. ! was reload
ing when he got ready to form closer
acquaintance. He had worked up the
ravine and | had worked down, and we
| were now hundred feet apart. know
| could not finish loading before he
| reached me, and there was no other
way but to run for it and hope that he
was too seriously wounded to overtake
me.
In those days could run like II horse,
and was accustomed to all sorts of
ground, but hadn't made ten jumps on
this occasion before my foot slipped on
a stone and | went down with a crash.
Old grizzly was within twenty feet of
me when | got up, and | pitched
my rifle into his face as | took
new start. The rOarhe uttered lifted
me Il foot high, and made a dozen en-
traordinary leaps. but it wasn't a
minute before | realized that he was
holding his ground, if not gaining
little. No man can guess how far Il
wounded and enragcd beast will pur-
sue him. | believe | could have kept
clear of this bear down to the mouth Of
the ravine, but if he pursued me far
enough he would be certain TO 0vors
take me. | made up my mind as | ran
that | would try the hole in the cliff.
1t was large enough for me to enter,
and might be large enough for the
bear, but once inside | could turn and
use my revolver. Old grizzly was
hardly more than rod behind me
when | pumped into the hole and
scrambled ahead on hands and knees.
After going in about ten feet the hole
turned to the left and narrowed con-
sidcrably, and seven or eight feet
further on | came to the end. As I did
50 my hand encountered something soft
and furry and there was hiss and spit
that told me that kitten panther WAS
present. | felt all around ME in the
black darkness, but the kitten was the
only living object. He was Il little fel-
low, not more than four or six weeks |
old. but ready to bite and scratch if my
fingers touched him.
The grizzly did not follow at once |.
into the cave. 1t was five minutes be-
fore | heard him working his way in. |
and by this time had recovered my |
breath and nerve. was certain he
could not reach me within six feet, and |
was rather glad to hear him Wheeling
and snorting as he pulled himself |
along. By and by | saw his eyes shine.
He could come no further. His
claws dug at the rocks and his roars Of !
rage deafencd me, but | was safe. 1t
was now my turn, and gave him two
shots from the revolver which caused
him to redOuble his roars OF rage.
For about ten minutes felt very queer
over the situation, but all Of sudden
it struck me that had gained nothing
by ths change. In place of being a
fugitive l was prisoner. The bear
showed no disposition to retreat, and
| now became aware Of the fact that
the cave had rank smell and that the
body of the bear prevented the fresh
air from entering. ! felt that | m'st
drive him out, and / did very foolish
thing. ! edged nearer TO him and put
four bullets into his head, and after O