Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-07-11

Az EXPLOSIVE BULLET III Ills EYE.
Last summer l was hunting in the
widest part Of the Coast Range, Cali
fornia, and one evening while trudging
along the bottom OF deep ravinc
sEirted the edge Of deep thicket, and
my coat sleeve brushed against the
bushes. This Slight disturbance of the
brush was followed by dcep, hoarse
"woof," something like the srult OF q |
hog, that came from the chaparral not
more tEan 4 dozen feet away. y bear
was in there, and If he had charged
should have had no time 10 get ont OF
his way. For few seconds | stood
with cooked rifle at the edge OF the
thichet, backed 10y the almost perDen-
d.cuar wall of tic ravinc, which cut oil
anything like :: rapid retreat. But the
bear did not seem disposed 10 start
fight, and as he did not charge, II msSe(dl,
away cautiously and, Climbed b&9 bY9rsI
NJ, the side OF the rayins feiWil yaf !,
got behind lsrgcETqrKf thatt: W III y
serve as :, breastwosk.ahd r9liaa a9feRl
bowiders down into the brush ifqfevenbei
for the scare old Brun lad given me!
lie demonstrated, by Il growl or two. aud
then heard him making his way down
the ravinc.
Subsequent events make me thank my
stars that the bear didn't take the trou-
bic 10 follow mc M the side Of that
gorge. jack Waddcll, an old mountain
ecr, Was in the same ravinc few DAYS
later walking along ledge about thirty
feet above the stream when ne saw Il
a large grizzly on the other side. Jack
thought he was pretty safe and opened
the fight by sending :: 80 calibrc en-
plosive bullet into the bears shoulder.
The grizzly sprang into the air when
struck, but when lie recovered from his
surprise he saw Jack and started prompt
" town the bank 10 cross the ravnc and
get ut him. Jack knocked the bear
down twice with explosive balls before
lie reached the creek, and twice more
while he was crossing the little stream,
but the grizzly got up every time and
seemed more determined to reach his as
saii;nt.
Jacks confidence was severely shaken,
and lie would have been glad to retreat,
but it was Impossible 10 get ont OF the
ravinc with any celebrity. He had 10
fight i. out right there. He could sea
the ragged wounds made 10y his bullets
in the bears chest and shoulders. and ne
knew that any one of them ought 10 kill
an ordinary animal. He said i. lust
broke his heurt 10 see that grizzly pail
himself together and come on in the face
of such Il fire, and Inc felt very dubious
shout The result OF the scrimmu9c HuT
as the bear reached Zip 20 climb the cGg
upon which nc WIS standing ,Jacf; put I'm
explosive bullet through his eve and
scrambled mis- brains, and the bear rolled
to the bottom OF the gorge. Jack sat
down Oil Il rock and had Il good tr-m.
bling spell all by himself.
II the grizzly had the cat tribes liking
for human meat, Or was o! q maievolcnt |
nature, his great strength and absolute
fearlessness would make him 4 worse !
scour9e than the man eating tiger of
India, but nc will not eat human flesh,
and lie generally minds his own business
when not intericred with. His method |
of fiehtn. makes him the toughest Gus
toner a inaa ever. tackled in q rough |
aud tumble. When the grizzly ATTACKS
he rushes upon man at full speed, and |,
overtbrows him with the impetus of the |
assault. at the same time striking IL swing |
ing blow with his ponderous paw I'M |
agine an animal weighing half a ton
hurting himself head first against man, |
and then believe what you please about
the hunters who stop the onslaught with
a bowie knife. The grizzly stands four
feet high at the shoulders, and he can |
strike Il man in the face without rising
on his hind legs. Usually ne does strike !
at the head so swiftly that no man can
dodge the blow, and the man who sur
wives such IL stroke is very lucky. Ihavc
seen full grown steers killed by one blow |
OF grizzly's paw, the neck being broken
in every instance.
John Searlcs, leading citizen of San /
Bcrnardino, is one OF the few men vino
have lived to tell how it feels to be hit
by grizzly. a few years ago he met
q large bear in the mountains near Fort
TETON and shot him in the shoulder.
Before he could reload the bear rushed Mt |
him and culfed him on the head, first |
with one paw and then with the otner.
The first blow tore off part of Scarlcs's |
scalp and the second smashed his jaw and |
knocked him end over end down the |
hillside. Searles was nearly senseless ]