The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-01-02

was q mere plaything when brought to
bear upon the thick, tough hide of an
acorn fatted grizzly, whose gross weight
might be somewhere in the neighborhood
of nine hundred pounds. AS for my
hunting knife, l had left it at home.
What wonder if, as an Irishman mighy
say, wished that / had left myself there
before l startedl
Against all this had the consolatory
assurance that the grizzly bear neve,
climbs, which, as the trees were all on
the side of the bear did not add mucl.
to my sense of security. But my prin-
cipal hope lay in the fact that was Just
then hidden by the gully, the depth OF
which varied from eight to twelve feet,
with precipitous sides and dry bed,
which probably led down to some neigh
boring stream of water.
Now" thought I, 81 have only to
crawl along this ditch, reach the stream,
cross it, and bid good-by to grizzly"
/ had just picked myself up, and was
proceeding to carry out my plan of es.
cape, when l heard cracking and
breaking of the underbrush which
fringed the ditch, and by which was
partly screened from view. This was
speedily followed by an angry growl, as
the treacherous earth gave way, and let
Mr.. Bear with no gentle tumble directly
down into the very gully into which
had fallen.
Fortunately for me, bruin had not only
f,l1 I.
at point somewhat distant from my
hiding place, and the little ferret eyes
did not at once perceive me. An UNI
lucky stumble, however, which | owed
to twisted root, betrayed me, and he
turned and gave chase.
They have very expressive phrase in
California when person is desired to
leave suddenly; it consists of but two
words, you git" My young reader,
when that bear tumbled into my gully
81 got" and when he took up the chase,
| continued "to git in style which as
tonished even myself
When l first saw him fall, certainly
hoped that he had broken his nose at
least, or even dislocated his great ugly
neck; but that hope vanished in mo-
ment.
He was evidently not whit the worse
for his somersault.
1t was no longer matter of ceremony.
sped over the ground like hunted
deer, while my stout friend came lum-
bering and putting on behind, like a
portly old gentleman who fears he may
be too late for the evening train. was
expecting every moment to feel the blow
OF his heavy paw, when, turning an
angle of the gully, perceived, with nc
little dismay, that the ditch in front Of
me was blocked by an immense fallel
tree. The smaller end of the broker
trunk being toward me, showed an open
ing wide enough to admit my then some
what more than usually slender form.
There was little time for hesitation.
could hear the bears heavy tramp be
hind me. A moment more and ha
plunged into the opening, and drew IN
gun after me, just as my fat frien
rounded the turn Of the "slue" in he
pursuit. Running blindly ON, he en-
deayored to force himself after me, Civ
ing the log a shock which made IN
tremble for the security of my new tene
ment.
One or two furious plunges tended t.
convince him that | could enter wher
his huge frame could not, for he seemed
to reflect, and finally introduced paw
from whose far reaching grab retireC
into the inner recesses of my chamber.
Finding that his attempts in this wa,
were equally futile, began to feel lit
tie more at ease, and when bruin agar
poked in his great paw, in an inquirinQ
sort of way, managed to push dead
duck out to him with the butt of my
gun, by way of a peace offering. was
willing just then to have peace at any
price short of surrender.
But Sir Bear had no thought of such a
compromise. He tore away, and made
the feathers fly with his cruel teeth and
claws, in a style which gave me pretty
lively notion of what / might expect
were to trust myself within their
grasp.
had begun to think seriously of Civ
ing my pursuer the benefit of a charge
of duck shot, in the hope of putting out
one or both of his ugly little eyes and
making him give up the hunt, when, my
eyes becoming accustomed to the dark
ness, discovered a faint indication of
light behind me.
On working myself round, saw that
the hollow into which had entered was
divided by narrow, rot eaten wall from
still larger opening in the body of the
trunk beyond, the portion of the great
tree in which l had ensconced myself
being in reality only one of the main
branches and lying almost at right
angles to the parent stem. a little lusty
kicking, with some help from my pocket
knife, soon enabled me to worm my way
with difficulty through the opening Into
this Immediately stuffed my light outer
jacket, in order to conceal my departure
from the beast, who was just then too
busily engaged in tunneling an entrance
into my hiding place to take notice of
my exit.