Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-11-26
oUTwITTlNo A GRIZZLY.
A venorf :, Traveller Tells How n
BurneollU . Pierce Old Be.r.

venort = Traveller Tells How IA
BurneosUp Pierce Old Boar.
He was q Venerable and intelligent man
and had been a great traveller, and he kind.
ly undertook to while away an idle hour by
telling New York Evening Sun reporter Of
the true inwardness of California life in the
foothills of the sierra
~ had several very curious adventures
down there" he said, land, by the wav.
young fellow, IL you ever happen TO 20 10
that region you had better throw of your
patent feathers and your boiled shirt TO be.
gin with, and put on corduroys and high
cowhide boots. The brush down there has
thorns three inches long, barbed like fish
hooks, and you would soon leave behind Won
that costume with more Of what il inside of
1t than would suit you.
"As to your question about grizzlies. I'll
tell you my first and rather remarkable ex-
perience with one of those varmints. was
kid, not yet twenty, and new to the region
Of the sierras, having come from the East
but few months before. On moonlight
night early in April was gently meauder-
ing home on muleback 1 was unarmed
with the exception Of pocketknife, for I
had foolishly lent my pistol to friend earlv
in the day. I had almost reached the ranch.
having only short stretch Of chapparal 10
pass. had heard the settlers allude re-
spectfully TO old Ephraim. They said he
was nercest In the spring, after his winters
siesta Re's always an ugly customer, and
after man has had wipe or two from his
talons there Is seldom enough left of that
man TO tell the tale. -
son this evening I speak of was DOG
tired, as had been riding all day. I had
almost fallen asleep on my mule, when
jumping Jehosaphati how that mule did
jumpl Standing ahead, a. large As life. on
the bank Of little brook, was q big
grizzly. He grinned at ne and growled in
way calculated to agitate the nerves OF
Ajax, the fellow who deied the lightning,
much more those Of . tenderfoot, a wa
then.
II had heard enough to know that If I
turned tail, that is the mules tail, could
leave Ephraim behind me, but on the other
side OF him was home, and had my share
OF grit even then. had heard of the notion
entertained by some people that man can
master the most ferocious wild Great
ure by looking him in the eyes and advano-
ing straight upon him. Even q greenhorn
would back out Of such an experiment with
Ephraim, the most ferocious Of all wild
creatures. tt
Suddenly remembered I had in nv
pocket . large box filled with friction
matches, those made with plenty of brim-
stone for use In strong wind. An idea
occurred to me, and patted and encouraged
the mule, who trembled 10 thought she
would drop down under me, and urged her
boldly right in the face Of old Bruin. When
within few feet I suddenly struck dozen
matches and threw them right into his open
jaws. Never was there Q more sudden
change from defiant and malignant ferocity
to the most abject cowardice. The huge
brute actually covered and shook with ter.
ror equal to that Of the mule herself.
''This was something altogether outside |
OF bis experience. suppose he thought he |
had struck . prairie IRE on mulebsck Even
the mule saw the. situation and gained
courage. She advanced and I kept . con-
tinuous shower Of burning matches. Lucli-
y rather strong wind blew from me and
carried away the fumes. In fact this is
what brought the vsrmnt to me, he having
winded me. To cut things short old Eph
turned tail aud ignominiously fed.
SNOW, stranger, might proceed to relate |
further how kept at the heels Of that old |
grizzly and kept setting dre 70 his fur until |
he was entirely burned up; but in this
skeptical age it may be well to suppress
some Of the facts Of the case, for fear Of be-
ing doubted"