Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-01
4 BEAR.

4 FER0CIOUS BEAR.
A Montana Hunters Encounter with .
Monster Grizzly and His Terrible Elk
pericnce.
A Big Horn correspondent OF the st.
Louis .sGlobe-D Democrat" writes as follows:
Several years ago while tradingiu Montana,
near the headwaters OF the Missouri river,
in one OF the most sequestered spots to be
found in the whole country, the writer an
across an "old.timer" named Clarke. He
had migrated to that locality from Ken
lucky some time in the sixties, and had
raised q large family, in number almost an
even dozen, who in size and weight seemed
like a veritable race OF giants. There were
several daughters in the family, apparently
q perfect type OF ~Amazonians, not one OF
them, in the estimation OF the writer,
weighing less than 200 pounds avoirdu-
pois.
At the time We were talking his second
son lay in the house, badly used up in an
encounter only two days before. 1t hap
pened in this wise: The son was scouting
along a creek valley, among thick cotton
wood and thorn bushes, looking for deer.
Suddenly he heard his dog give tongue in a
very peculiar manner only q few rod in
front OF him, but thinking that it was moth
ing more than some small animal, he tried
to coax the dog away. The canine, how
ever. refused to leave the bushes, and
Clarke was induced to attempt an explora-
ton. The bushes were Of such dense
growth as to entirely conceal everything
within, 80 the hunter, discovering q sort OF
pathway leading into the interior, with his
gun in hand he got down on his knees. and
attempted to crawl along in search OF the
game. Scarcely had he entered the
thicket before there came an ugly snort,
followed by a terrific growl. The next mo-
ment q big grizzly rushed upon Clarke, mad
with rage at being disturbed in his retreat.
Clarke had barely time to ''crawfish" out
of the bushes and raise his gun before the
bear sprung from the thicket and stood
erect in front of the hunter, SO close to the
latter that, although he fired, the bullet
only slightly wounded the animal in the
side OF tho jaw. The next moment, Clarke,
gun and ali, were knocked, by blow from
the grizzly's huge paw, over q steep bank
at least fifteen feet in height, and down
among the weeds. mud and gravel. The
grizzly, with open jaws, sprang after Clarke,
as if intending to finish his victim should
he exhibit any symptoms of life.
As Clarke lay almost unconscious the
grizzly caught him BY his side and shook
him in much the same as a terrier
would a rat. then threw him down and
stood over his body, growing and watching
to notice any signs OF activity. At this
spectacle Clarke's dog became enraged and
rushed to the rescue of his master, snap
ping at the bear ~viciously. The grizzly
sprang after the dog, which led him a chase
up the bank, and theh the bear discovered
fresh enemies. The Clarke house was not
far distant, and the remainder OF thefamily
had heard the fight and hurried to the res
cue of the unfortunate son Old MI. Clarke
WAS the first on hand, and he came on
horseback at a breakneck speed, barehead-
ed and with hair streaming, his gun held
aloof, determined to revenge the misfortune
of his son. whom he felt sure must be killed.
The rest of the family snatched up what
ever weapons they could find and came
running on foot, the women having clubs
or butcher-knives.
The bear saw at q glance that he was
largely outnumbered, and began to shuttle
on at q rapid gait towards the mountains.
The old hunter, fearing that the bear might
escape, urged his horse at the top OF bis
speed, and as he dashed past the grizzly
gave the animal q shot at perhaps three |
rods distant. This aroused the ire OF the |
grizzly to it's utmost fury. It sprang after |
the hunter, and had not Clarke's pony |
jumped to one side quickly the bear must
have swept bota horse and rider to instant
destruction. Clarke was perfectly thunder
struck at the horrid appearance OF the
flying through space, and declared
that the animal must have jumped rs feet
in it's efforts to seize him. Again, it
to run for the mountains, but was
in its career by q rifle shot from
the hands of the third son. Instantly it
dashed after the shootist, and he would
probably have paid q severe penalty for in
a wound on the bear had there not
been q precipice near at hand. The bear
him to the very brink OF the prec-
Ipice; but, by singular strategy on his part,
iust as the brute was on the point of Selling
he saved himself by turning a sharp
angle and lodging among some
At the very moment he turned the bear
'praog to catch him, but instead plunged
leadloDg to the rocks below, a distance OF
Is to 100 feet. The sever fall and the
crippled the grizzley SO badly that
10 soon fell an easy prey to the Clarke
amily, after which they returned to the
i'd OF the injured son, who was found a
PASS OF promiscuous bruises and injuries.
Never had a preparation a more appro-