The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1889-06-15
SURPRISED A GRIZZLY.
A Reckless Montana Hunters Dan.
gerOus Mistake.
He Attacked the Bear and 1t REQUIRED
the Utmost Exertions of the Whole
Family, Including the Dog,
to Save Him.

AAo @A''"cheu 'he Bear ana 1t Required
the Utmost Exertions of the Whole
Family, Including the Dog,
to Save Him.
Not more than twenty-five miles
from Gallatin City, M. r., near the
Missouri river, and in one of the
most sequestered localities to be found
in the whole country, I accidentally
ran across an ''old-timer'' named
Clark, who went there some time
away back in The sixties, and there he
has stayed and raised family of a
half-doZen or more sons and daugh-
tors, who are SO large that they really
seem to belong to some giant tribe,
Tor not single one of them weighs
less than two hundred pounds, and
they look every inch as healthy as
their weight indicates. This pioneer
and his family have been so long shut
off from civilization that they have
acquired a sort Of mountaineer dialect
peculiar to themselves, and when
they first gaze 1pon you you almost
Imagine that their fierceness of looks
somewhat resembles in aspect that
very much dreaded monster of the
Western wilds-the grizzly.
On closer acquaintance, however,
you soon discovered that the fierceness
of looks soon gave way to the warm
est kindness, for their very heart
strings freely go out to make the
stranger who may chance to be their
guest comfortable and happy, and
with the wearing away of the back
wardness and modesty they seem to
be among the cleverest people on the
globe.
Around their homo is yet to be
found plenty Of game, and hunting is
favorite pastime with the Clarks, as
one readily observes the walls of their
rustic dwelling covered with the skins
of the bear, mountain lion, deer and
many other animals.
In fact, these Nimrods obtain quite
a revenue from the sale of furs, and in
general don't mind attacking any kind
of warmth that comes in their
way. This, of course, has caused
them to have many ferocious and
hand-to-kand encounters. AS likewise
they have had many Of the narrowest
escapes from death by the rage of ami
mails on record.
One would naturally suppose that
these hunters, having destroyed so
many wild animals, could scarcely be
expected to feel any way timid at the
presence of beasts, but on questioning
the old pioneer l found him exceeding-
ly afraid of grizzlies. Them are
pesky critters; fife and fife to beat all
natur," exclaimed he. Il wud a. soon
be chuc1ed 'mong a hull passed. of
wolves and expect to wallop my way
as to tackle a mad grizzly 'thout
thinkin' O. gettin' chawed up. After
tina ar shot to pieces thar is more fife
in one to the squar inch than in all the
wolves ON airth piled together" I
did not so much wonder at his express
sions afterward, for at the very time
we were conversing there lay his Sec
ond son in bedroom near by, badly
mangled in an encounter with one of
the grizzlies only two days previous.
1t was one of the most exciting ad-
ventures with a bear we ever heard of,
and happened in this wise: The son
had taken his firearms and was scout
ing along on the side of the table-land
adjoining the premises, when suddenly
he heard his dog give tongue in a very
peculiar manner only a few rods in
front of him. Thinking that it might
be nothing moro than some small ami
NAL he endeavored to coax the doc
away. believing that the barking of
the latter would brighten away game
of more importance. The dog, how
ever, stuck to the bushes, and the son
was induced to attempt an exploration.
Looking from this outside the bushes
were of such dense growth as to entire
ly conceal every :hing within, so Clark,
noticing sort Of pathway leading
into the interior, with his gun in hand,
stopped down and began to crawl to-
ward the center Of the thicket. Scarce
ty had he entered the bushes
before an ugly snort, followed
by terrific srowl, and then a
huge grizzly Game tearing toward
Clark, mad with rage, because he had
been disturbed IT. his winter retreat.
Clark had Just time to hurriedIy
crawtish out of the thicket and half
raise his gun to mis- shoulder before
the bear sprung from the thicket and
stood erect in front of the hunter. so
close to the latter that, although he
fired, it was without taking aim, and
the bullet only slightly wounded the
animal in the jaw. The next moment
blow from the grizzly's huge paw
knocked Clark, gun and all, over
steep bank at least fifteen feet distant,
among some shrubs and gravel. With
open jaws, the grizzly sprang after
him, as if intending to finish up his
foe, should the latter still exhibit any
signs OF ]ise. AS Clark lay almost I'M
conscious, the huge beast grabbed him
by the side, and. after giving him a
good shaking, threw him down and
stood over his body growing savage
ly' At this spectacle Clark's dog be-
came enraged, and rushed to the res
cue OF his master, swapping at the
bear furiously.
The BEARS anger increased, and he
sprang after the dog, which led him
a chase up the bank, when the bear