The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1889-07-26
ouTWITTINe A GRIZZLY.
4 Venerable Traveller Tells How He
hurnsd Up a Pierce Old Hear.


II" was o venerable and intelligent man
and hat been a great Traveller. and he kind
undertook 20 while away an idle hour by
telling q SgW York Ertnsug Sru reporter Of
the tru. iuwardne-s of California life IN the
tuut-Htl, of the sierra.
81 bad several very curious adventures
down 'AHrn, ho suil, 'and, by the way,
yn'dr lri.uw, u YOU ever happen b 20 to
ttlt sc-i0r sou had better throw on your
pt.eut iruhors and your boiled shirt to b.
gin w.a .ud put On corluroys and high
eIs'hrir b1ats. The brush down there has
tIorns turtc inches long sarbcd like fish
books, and sou would suuu lrsvc behind you
that cnstuufe with more OF what is inside Of
u than would suit you.
Z" 40 g. y1gr question about grizzlies, III
toll you by first rnd rather remarkable Il.
p]erieurc with one " those yarmiuts. was
u Kid, not yet twenty. and new % the region
~ The ~siCrras, having come from the East
but n iHw months before. On a mooEight
night curly in April ] was rcuily mgandar.
ing hsmu on wuIchlclg. was uua-med
with ID" oyrcptiou ~ u pockei. knife, for l
lad f~oyiHtig lent ms u.st,l 20 a friend early
D. the day. ] had almost rCtchcl the ranch,
having ru.y q short stretch 81 c~happaral 10
pass, ! had heard the settlers a.lude re-
spcctfuliy 10 ola Ephraim. Thcs said he
was herc,+i m tho spring. after his winters
sicsta Hes always an uvly customer, and
after a man has had "a wipe or two from his
tallus there Is seldom enough loft Of that
mau 10 tell the tale.
"On this evening I speak ~ | was dog
tircd, a. ] had beou riding all day. / had
almost fallen asleep on my mule, when
jumping Jshpsaphat' how that mule did
Iumpl Standing ahead. as large as life, on
TIE bank Of a little brook. was a big
grizzly. He grinncd 40 mc and growlcd IN
a way calculated to auitatc the nerves Of
Ajax, the fellow who dcfcd the lightning.
much more those Of a teuderfocL, a. | was
then.
II had heard enough to know that IL |
turned tail, that ia tbs mule's tail, | could
leave EphraIm behind me, but on the other
side Of him was home, and | had my share
o tgrit even then. | hal heard Of the notion
entertained by 1omc people that a man can
master the most forucious wild Great.
ure 10y luohiug him IA the eyes and advanc.
ing straight upon him. Even a greeuhnrn
would back ont ~ such an experiment with
Ephraim, the most fcr0ciuus OF all Wild
creatures.
suddenly ! remembered I had In my
pocket a largo box filled with friction
matches, those made with plenty Of hrim-
stone Tor USE IN a strong wind. IN idea
occurred 10 mc.and ! uUttcd and cncourngpd
the mule, who trcmblcd 20 ! thought she
would drop down uHdor the. and urged her
boldly rA.ut IN The !acC Of old Bruin. When
within a few feet / suddenly struck a dozen
matches and threw thcm right into his open
jaws. Never WAS there a more sudden
change from defiant aud malignant f~crocity
Ia the most abjact ruwardirc. The huge
brute actually covered and shook with ter.
ror equal TO TINT Of Inc mule huraelf.
"Inis was something altogether outside
OF his experience. J suppose hc Thought hc
had struck Il prairie fro on m|ulcuacE. Even
tue mule sdw the situation and gliue0
courage She advanced aui | Kept q CON
tinuuus shuwcrut bLrn,r matches. Lucki
IS a rather strong wiu.i blew from me and
carried away the fumes. Ia fact this is
what brought the varmsnt 10 me, he having
winded me. To cut things short, old Eph
turned tail aud ANONYMOUSLY fed.
Now, stranger, ! might proceed to relate
further how | Kept at the heels Of that old
grizzly and kept setting drc 10 his fur until
he was entirely burned up: but in this
skeptical age II may be well to suppress
some Of the facts Of the case, for fear OF be-
ing doubted"