The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1889-07-18
A DEADLY ENCOUNTER

have oftsn me, old buniers Who bs'
beard oi battles between the erirziy bel
and the immecss. isvny panther oi u
Rocky Mounlsiss; bat I bsve only ons
known . man Who bed seen sueh combs
Sergeant Rosemsn OF the -th Unite
States Cavalry, whom me, 10 wyomin
uhile 90 . huD,ing expedition In 's6. iol
me of scree feb, betseep "old EpL
add Two mountain lions vhich be be
"ampired." ~ be put IL. -nssr Gasp,
MounisIn several years before,
Al ihs. time he was stationed 81 for
Fcttermap. A party OF citizens had com
out from st. Paul. MINI, TO hunt the bi
game. then 80 plentiful 10 Eastern WON
ing. aud the sergeant, one of The bss
hunlers 10 bis regiment, wss allowed TO q
VITA them. taking small detachment G
soldiers to look alter the camp. aud tab
care Of the game The psriy bad bee
huotibg elk among the foothills Of tb
Cssps range. aud near the great rsgse,
mountain which 10 their chief feature
when the adventure befel him.
killed an elk. said be. early one morn
ing. sod ~ ! often did 10 . region sts<r,
there were grizzly or silver-tip bears. l lei
il where il fell, for bear bsi,. There i
nothing the big bears Of this region are
more fond OF than freshly killed elk or /,
black tail. ! had already. At one time and
smother. shot seven bears by batting 10 tbi'
way, and watching by the bodies Of the
dead elks
Perched comfortably in the branches oi
40 evergreen. or lying upon the top o
some high rock within few rods OF your
bait. II isn't such . desperate adventure
the killing OF grizzly. A good gun using
heavy ammunition. decent msrksmansbip
and steady nerve are all that are required
II you are fresh At the bushes though, you
probably won't fret great deal il the bear
fails to come.
This time had killed 40 elk in just
such spot aud with just such surround
ings as ! would have selected could have
bad fall choice | shot it in the act of
drinking at q small basin OF water 10 the
bed Of canon, which cut back into the
foot OF old Caspsr Mountain. The side Of
the mountain on either hand was ru,ted
with deep gorges leading into the canon.
Quaking asp thickets clustered around the
heads OF these ravines, while the bottoms,
wherever vegetation could take hold, we're
grown TO willows, currant aud bullberry
)usher. 1t was Just the place for bears,
md their sign was as plentiful Is had
ver seen it anywhere.
The spot was only mile flom our camp
nd when l came 10 from my hunt for we
united singly or 10 twos or threes rs the
'otion took us-I found three OF the st.
PAUL men taking late dinner told them
I my success. and invited them to go
nth me, aud lie in wait for bears that
vening.
They declined, declaring that they had.
I lost any bears. and. therefore. didn't
eel called upon to hunt for 'em. was
elcome. they said, to gether al the stray
rizzlies in the region. and put my psrtic
lar brand on 'em.
So about three o'clock 1 went up 10 my
ait alone. found 1t undisturbed. perch
! myself in the crevice Of ledge Of rock
'me thirty yards distant. which position
reached by making ladder Of dry poles
'at lay among some drift OF q recent
ashout. My hiding place was perfectly =
fe from the attack Of bear, should be
cky enough TO lure one within shot,as it
rs full fifteen feet from the base Of the
dse at perpendicular height. :
l found the crack. in which l could y
reich myself 1t full length. such com. q
rtable place that concluded to watch : :
night. provided no bear came 10 my :,
it sooner l had not long to wait. how. "
er. before ! was treated to the most
orougL and thrilling surprise Of all nv = :,
'nting experience. -
! had lain, perhaps, an hour, and the y
a bad Just sunk behind the mountains 10
OK OF me. so thst their shadows had 10
'wled over the tops OF the lower ones in 10
mt when l beard the sound of soft foot DC
Is Just on the other side OF Q fringe OF
ilbeuy bushes. hich skirted the stream th
ove the spring where my elk lay. / pi
cked my ears and looked sharply for wa
ne. which from the mufiied sound took hi
be two or three bears running down the CO.
ion. De
had no time TO speculate upon the
ure Of the animals before there bound fer
in sight two big tswny mountain lions. lea
~ were racing down the canon. jump obi
sidewise and running sgainst each Toe
er 10 way that was, NO doubt. intend 3D.
10 be plsyf and vss inst about TO 20
? one Of them With shot from my rife Va
sn in the same breath each OF them bin
gbta scent Of the elks CARCASS and came bal
sudden halt. bro
hey stood for . moment with heads Lu
i, ears pricked forward, and tails !
'cbing eagerly. their yellow eyes glesm. Of
and scintilla,ipg, the white spots on bot
r breasts Offering . splendid target fire
had cared to shoot st once. They we're sigl
sleek animals with glossy coats, far 500
g imposing 10 looks and much lsrger Civ
, the panther Of the esst and south and 70
Is anxious 10 bag both Of them. which crif
ought ! might make sure Of doing II the
attacked my bait. as might easily
J them both With . single shot from
Winchester express IL they got 10