The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-22
A HUNT IN TIE CASCADES.
BAD JUDGMENT AND BAD LUCK GET
4 MAN ISIO Lot or TROUBLE

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TIL, white Mon Nearly Died. the Chinook
broke His Collar Bone, ana the nehr
IIoa 10 Como Into Town TO Get shot.
In tho fall OF 1888 had n series OF misadVen-
tnres in the Cascade range. which show how
man accustomed 10 the mountains anu inc
woods will sometimes, partly through bad
luck and partly through cHrelessness
horn of ovcr-conndenco, get into a whole
lot OF trouble, without half trying. Having ao'
sorbed moro malaria than was good Tor mo
, down I'm tho willamette valleY-whoro. OF
course. they haven't any malaria 10 speak
or although evory saloon oar mas
bottle OF puinine standing along
side the whiskey-I had Eone up inc
Columbia River and into tho then Territory oil
Washington In search OF pure air ana heaitu'
and had become somewhat weary oil drinking
hot mineral water and shooting grouse IN mo
brush when my interest was aroused pV
sett,er's casual remark that bears were pretty
thick over IN the Cascade Mountains. In an.
swer to my questions tho settler said had
hrtt,r hire An Indian to show mo the host
place for BEARS md recommended an old chi
nook hunter named Tom. who lived IN ma
tive village a few miles away.
With my Winchester on my shoulder set
out to find Tom. but he was not ut home ana
l made my erraud known to tho only man IN
camp who could understand English, drunken
hulf- breed Whom ho got it through his head
TINT wanted 10 hiro old Tom Tor some pur-
poso the Lalf-brced volunteered to help me
find him, and limited that II flask OF whiskey
would facilitate tho search. told MN hau
no liuuor, but took some CON from my pocket
md gave him n half dollar. which lie accepted
eagerly, at tho same time sizing up with MS
eve the handful that l returned to my pocket.
RI
nstlul Of gold and silver to II half-drunk In
dian. The half. breed mounted whte-eyed
pinto pony. said something il Chinook TO
morose looking Indian near by and we set
out from the village the WORCESTERSHIRE In
dian cnrelessly mounting his horse and riding
on ahead of us. AS neither OF them had ire
arms, attached no significance to this move
ment. and walked along carclessly beside the
half breeds vcious.ookinE pony.
We had not gone fur when tho half breed
generously offered me his horse, and. although
/ declined and said l would rather walk he
persisted in his offer to an extent that became
annoying. and. to put an end to his talk. SAID
the horse looked like bucker and l couldn't
manage him very we'll with ono hand. lie
eagerly offered to carry my rifle for mo- and
was about to dismount, but sharply told him
10 ride on, and he reluctantly obeyed. Then
hostility toward the Indian riding ahead.
SwayinG in his saddle, no muttered: See
that Injun George. Him no good. George
heap dam drunkard. Him drunk now"
pretended to take but little notice OF his
mutterinGs. but walked along silently
George heap drunk blankety blank; ought
to be killed." growled the half-breed. Dam
him. shoot him now. Give me that gun"
and lurching quickly toward me, but without
losing his seat, no made sudden grab for the
rifle but he didn't yet 1t, because l swung
myself around and dropped the rife carelessy
into the hollow 81 my left arm out OF his reach
and with the muzzle pointing at bis stomach.
At tho same time laughed at what aDrar-
emily regarded as his drunken freak and told
him he had better lot George alone and attend
a drunken laugh. changed his mood, and be-
gan telling me in muudin way that | was
good fellow. and he liked me first rate. and
then inquired il my gun was pretty good one.
The information that 1t was good enough to
shoot the eye out OF an Indian at Il hundred
yards satisfied his curiosity and put an end TO
his efforts TO got possession of the weapon. and
was soon relieved from an uncemlortable SIT
qpR BY S th S% Re S bank ones the
Old Tom understood very little English, and
to make clear 70 him that ,l, wanted a him to
he grunted assent. Pointing acro-s the rivor
10 a dip in the mountain range. lie said:
An time plenty bear. One day go. one day
come. SEQ plenty bear when you 20; Oh -
day. and was not properly dressed or ecu ipped
for pass ne The night in the mountains. but II
the game vas, so close at hand 1t did not seem
to no worth while TO- 60 back TO the house for
heavier clothing and blankets. and fooishly
epea that w T0m sn H1 rGh5 HHTa{ Tan
and u pound or two OF dried salmon with him.
he was entirely ready for any sort Of trip. and
store by the purchase Of a blanket. half IL pound
OF tea. few pilot biscuit, u tin cup and a can
Boston 6enn Tor That sort 81 an oq ~
health but Tor, man weakened b., fever and
chil!s and with an aKue stitch in his side. it
was recklesslY inadequate
An Indian ierriod us across tho river in q
small skifl. handling it,with great skill and
II hs Iuihnf 69Rn s 5SPds Of the
he pulled boldly into tho white water. where
the reslStless current caught her and whrled
from the opposite shore. fow powerful
strokes at exactly the right moment shot tho
Sk into an eddy and the 1: vas made
buckets OF water, Sometimes tho skins cap
size In the ,rapids. but the Indians generally
Of sand where tho current sots In shore.
Instead J., Of sirikbIng into The monntani
the way through the wocds about six miles up
the river and then turned sharply to the south
ward and began climbing bold, prec lpitous
climb. and when might came was glad 10 roll
up IN my one thin blanket and go to sleep ut
TIE lOOt Oh lTeb, WITH u TOOL lot u pillow.
Toms ono day 20" stretched ont TO nearly
two days OF hard mountain climbing. and
Whenever l tried 20 got some definite idea Of
our destination, his inyariable reply was 500
um mountain = pointing TO some distant ridge
Way ND: mobbe three mile"
Three milo meant three hours and at the
end Of that time it was three milo more.
Latc in the afternoon of the second day.
whom we were in the heart of tho Cascade
range old Tom pointed to moccasn print in
I he trail and granted: "lniun here. Kliktat
hunter. No bear now. klikitat scare um away.
That was discouraging after such n lot
of hard tramping. but we pushed on. and
presently Tom motioned to me to stop. and
crent through the brush to the brink OF a cliff
back. whispered boar. and beckonod me 10
follow HIM We crept silently through tho
brush, and peerlng over tho edge OF the cliff
l saw greut black bear slowly walking across
an open plnce down in the canon
about 400 yards away, stopping now and
then to turn m stone In search Of grubs or
ants. | was about used UP with climbing and
had touch OF the chillS. and when | tried to
draw q bead on the bear, was yexed to lind
that. ! could not hold steadily. Shifting my
position. tried to get u rest oyer my knee. but
my legs were shaky, and had to resort to tho
expedient OF WEIGHING on" and pulling the
trigger during the wigge. At tho crack of
tho rifle the bear fell on his knees. but was up
again in an instant. and plunged into thicket
lust as my second shot DlouRhed I'm