Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-04-03
BATTLING WITH A BEAR.
An Intrepid Hunters Conflict with
Giant Grizzly.

The carcass of huge grizzly bear
was brought into town few days ago
by Henry Robertson, who had killed the
animal the day previous in one of the
gorges Of the Pinaleno mountains, lying
to the northeast of this place. The
body weighed over twelve hundred
pounds, measuring five feet five inches
in height, while its claws are fully
four inches long and curved almost into
fish-hooks. Robertson himself was in
need of medical attention, for his legs
and shoulder were badly torn and his
countenance decorated with mum berless
scratches, Indicating that the grizzly
had considered her life worth fighting
for. The hunter was accompanied by
his two dogs, which, while only ours Of
mongrel breed, had, their proud owner
declared, undoubtedly saved his life in
the fight with the big bear, conducting
themselves with a courage and intelli-
gence that would have put to the blush
many Of their pedigreed and high bred
brethren. The dogs, Nip and Tuck,
each exhibited severe wounds on the
head and body, and listened with evil
dent comprehension of the story to
their master as he related it to the
crowd gathered round the dead grizzly,
betraying at any mention Of themselves
pleased and proud excitement, and
corroborating the narrative at intervals
with many short barks and waggings Of
their stumpy, yellow tails. Robertson
tells his story as follows:
was looking for no particular game,
and had started out toward the mount
aims moro from idlenoss than any
thing else, and only from force of habit
had taken my rife and belt, containing
q revolver, huntingknife and toma-
hawk. And, speaking of tomahawks,
III say right here that for fight at
close quarters with man or beast it is
the handiest weapon that was ever in
vented by white man or savage. The
Indians, who paten ted 1t, as you might
say, seeing that they had been hob
| nobbing with them for hundreds Of
years while the white man was follow
Ing his plow's tail, knew more about
wild animals and fighting than that
white man, and he has never brought
out any thing to equal the tomahawk in
= hand-to-hand fight, for all hts big
blowing.
Well, was sitting down to rest on
the top OF little ridge after jogging
along an hour or so when heard the
dogs that had gone on ahead and gotten
out Of sight barking as II they had gone
mad. I knew they had found something
worth having, 30 l won't running down
into the nttlo dip below tho ridge, and
there found them tearing round and
round an opening in . heap Of rocks
sort OF piled up till they made a rood
sized cave, and acting like they had
taken leave OF their senses But, OK
cited as they were, 1t was easy TO see
they thought 1t better to DO pretty
cautious, too, for they would 70 rush
Ing up to the mouth Of tho cavorn and
then come tearing back in . big hurry,
- II they would almost make up their
minds to tackle whatever 1t was and
then on second thought give it up. I
could not think what 1t was, for IL never
occurred to me that It might DO .
grizzly bear, for had not seen or hoard
OF one In these parts Tor ten years and
over.
SO stepped over a big log that lay
between me and the hole and looked in,
when l heard tremendous growl and
fuseiing OF dry leaves that told me there
WAS some large animal down there,
ehough still could not place 1t. stuck
my head nearer TO tho hole, and such
another growli7g and gnashtng Of tooth
was surely nsser heard. This time I
saw pretty plstnly two big eyes Glarine
~ me out Of tAs darkness like red-hot
GOALS. cooked my rife, but found the
log was too close for mo to draw q sight
on the animals 90 I got on my knees,
and, leaning hack on the fallen tree,
leveled my gun As we'll as could, the
bear all this time tearing up the ground
I ana making the gorge fairly ring with
his furious oriss
The dogs stopped barking, though,
from pure excitement, and stood by me
with their very hair bristling up like
porcupine's, and their tails as stiff as
ramrod. The big shining eyes Of the
beast seemed to get closer to the open
ing In the rocks, SO fired, aiming to hit
between tho eyes, but, as l found after
wards, the shot only passed through the
muxzle about An inoh below them. and