The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-09-07

I have often met old hunters who
have heard of battles between the
grizzly bear and the immense, tawny
panther of the Rocky mountains; but
Ihave only once known q man who
had seen such combat
Sergeant Roseman, of the til United
States Cavalry, whom met In Wyom-
ing while on a hunting expedition in
'86, told me OF fierce fight between
..Old Eph" and two mountain lions
which he had ''umpired"-as he put 1t
near Caspar Mountain several years
before.
At that time he was stationed at Fort
Fetterman. A party of citizens had
come out from st. Paul. Mimi, to hunt
the big game, then SO plentiful in East
ern Wyoming, and the sergeant, one Of
the best hunters in his regiment, was
allowed to 60 with them, taking a
small detachment of soldiers to look
after the camp. and take care of the
game. The party had been hunting
elk among the foothills Of the Caspar
range, and near the great ragged
mountain which is their chief feature,
when the adventure befel him.
II killed an elk" said he, ''early one
morning, and as 1 often did in region
where there were grizzly or silver-tip
bears, left 1t where it fell, for bear
bait. There is nothing the big bears
Of this region are more fond of than
q freshly killed elk or q black-tail.
had already. at one time and another,
shot seven bears by batting in this
way, and watching by the bodies of the
dead elks.
"Perched comfortably in the branches
Of an evergreen. or lying upon the tor
Of some high rock within a few rods Of
your bait, it isn't such q desperate ad.
venture, the killing of grizzly. A
good gun, using heavy ammunition
decent workmanship. and steady
nerve are all that il required. II yot
are fresh at the business though. yot
probably won't fret great deal if the
bear fails to come.
This time had killed an elk IL
just such spot and with just such sur
roundings a. / would have selected
could have had full choice. l shot i
in the act of drinking at small BASH
of water in the bed of a canyon, which
cut back into the foot Of old Caspa
Mountain. The side of the mountain
on either hand was rutted with dee
gorges leading into the canyon. Quak
ing asp thickets clustered around tn
heads of these ravines. while the BOZ
, toms, wherever vegetation could tax
hold, were grown to willows, curran
! and burberry bushes. It was just tn
place for bears, and their sign was q
plentiful as I had ever seen it any
where.
The spot was only mile from GU
camp, and when came in from m
, hunt-for We hunted singly or in two
,, and threes as the notion took us
!. found three of the st. Paul men takin
! a late dinner. told them of my SUI
!. cess, and invited them to 60 with mi
!, and lie in wait for bears that evening
. They declined, declaring that the
hadn't lost any bears, and. therefor
didn't feel called upon to hunt for 'en
Twas welcome. they said, to gather a
the stray grizzlies in the region, an
put my particular brand on 'em.
2 $50 about three o'clock went up
g my bait alone. / found it undisturbe
D and perched myself in the crevice of
9 ledge of rock some thirty yards distan
4 which position i reached by making
q ladder Of dry poles that lay amor
q some drift of q recent 'washout.' n
r hiding-place was perfectly safe fro
4" the attack of q bear, should be lucl
n enough to lure one within shot, as
1t was fully fifteen feet from the base
9 the ledge. at perpendicular height
le II found the crack. In which cou
% stretch myself at full length, such
IL comfortable place that concluded
s. watch all night, provided no bear car
" to my bait sooner. had not long
re- wait, however, before was treated
% the most thorough and thrilling 81
d, prise of all my hunting experience.
ne II had lain. perhaps, an hour. a
A the sun had Just sunk behind the mot
r. tains back of me. so that their shade
se had crawled over the tops Of the low
10 ones in front, when heard the sou
Q, Of soft footballs just on the other 81
or Of fringe Of bullberry bushes, viii
o. skirted the stream above the spri
le where my elk lay. / pricked my o
ID and looked sharply for the game, VIII
be from the mufhled sound ! took
or be- two or three bears running do
30 the canyon
~ Il had no time to speculate upon