Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-01-17
An UNEXPECTED ESCAPE.


far-off Mexican California and moth
ing more. and was IL veryyoung Of
ficer in Uncle Sans little army, |
once found myself stationed at GER
tain inland town-if collection OF
abode or mud huts deserved the
name-situated about sixty miles
distant from the then scarcely larger
village of Yerba Buena the now
mighty city of San Francisco.
We were doing garrison duty-a
signal company, under old Capt.
Jack B., an easy going command
er, who gave us little to do and plen-
~ of time to do it in.
So, as the hours hang somewhat
heavily upon our hands Capt. Jack
and 1.-THE only officers Mt the post
took to hunting and shooting, with
now and then little fishing by way
OF change, to vary the monotony of
our soldier lite. Countless flocks OF
wild geese. brant and lesser water
! fowl came by thousands to banquet
upon the wild oatfelds and make
their reedy homes among the wide
marshes which separate the firmer
land about Sonoma from the spread
ing bays that terminate in the Gold
en- Gate
We had goose for dinner, brant for
breakfast. and cold duck for supper
and lunch, till old Jack declared his
belief that he should quack if we ate
any more such fare.
One morning l had been very sue
ccssi;;l at duck shooting, and when
tired OF the sport | proceeded to
shoulder my piece and secure my
game for the homeward tramp OF
three or four miles
As [ lost sigh: of the shooting
ground, and began to enter the live
oak groves scattered here and there
along the higher ridges bordering
the marshy edges of the bay, l found
myself suddenly enveloped in one OF
, those dense mists which sweep up at
certain seasons from the sea, like the
ocean vapors of n Newport summer
, afternoon.
AS had no special path, and was
travelling only by familiar landmarks
now rendered indistinct by the hoarN
haze, was obliged to move more
slowly, and soon felt satisfied that
, had missed my way.
} Reaching at length a space-opel
, upon three sides, the fourth being
: thinly wooded, but without particle
of underground i paused fol
Q a moment to survey, so fal
as my limited horizon woult
} permit, Il tract of country which was
| new to me; moreover, | hoped to
hear the sound of running water
which, as | knew the general direc
ton of the streams, would serve tC
q guide me in taking what sailor call q
\ fresh departure.
While listening Intensely, | heard
\ from the wooded side OF my narrow
j. visible world a sort of pounding, as
: if some man with large boots and nc
Y corns had found his feet unpleasant
ly cold, and was endeavoring tC
;. warm them by stamping in n manner
: which betokened an utter disregard
for shoe leather.
: Then came q wheeze like that OF O
\ grutf, giant troubled with the asthma
!. and finally mixed compound o
crunching and mumbling as if huge
hog were eating hard corn. Myatten
!. ton being now thoroughly aroused
!. by so remarkable combination o
v sounds, peered into the gloom unit
e | fancied | could perceive the vague
misty form of some creature stirring
r up the fog within twenty feet of tn,
4 spot on which | had halted.
V at is-no, it can't be-yes, but it il
: grizzly! Don't | wish l was al
!. homel"
:. That's what thought. You see
. | hadn't come bear hunting, | wa
n duck shooting, and had no conven
i fences for carrying home u bear ever
il | should kill one; and the more
looked ut Mr. Grizzly, the better sat
:, isfed | was that he had every con
venience for killing and carrying me
All / had ever heard or read of hi
9 ugly. hateful ways seemed to rush in
- to my mind.
II had been examined on this sub
4 ject in natural history just then,
;, should have gone up to the heat
p" of my class Immediately.
:. Meanwhile we stood looking n
each other. 1t Was evidently sur
prise on both sides. | stared yer,
i hard at the bear with wide open eyes
= while the bear stared very hard n
!, . me with wide open mouth.
= think the bear got over Ills aston
- ishment first, and what is worse,
. could see he wasn't at all alarmed
~ He stopped eating, gave a sniff ant
snort of interrogatory who ar
your grnnt, and then tc3k steI
: toward me.
. As am of n retiring disposition
and have never been willing to in
u trude myself into company where
$ have not been invited, | felt som
e delicacy in continuing to be witness
J. of his repast; and was accordingl,
q withdrawing in nm transformations ,