Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-04-01


make . trip to Fort George, on the other
side Of the Rockies, where there were
some matters that needed straigh tening
up, as either gong or coming back
would run q good chance Of seeing some
thing of the famous dogs.
81 left Fort Assiniboine in the
sutumn, and although a sharp lookout
was kept by all the party as we went
over to Fort George, not a sight nor
sign Of the dogs did we stumble upon.
"We had crossed the Rockies and
were descending the eastern slopes, get
ting down among the foothills. One day
Heathcote and pushed on together in
tho dogs on our mind.
early in the afternoon we came to q
bluff that overlooked little valley,
which we at once decided would be our
camping place for that night. A bright
stream ran along the center Of tho val
ley. Having thought that perhaps q
herd OF deer might put in an appearance
II We kept out of sight, we stretched
ourselves out comfortably on the bluff
and awaited developments. They proved
to be interesting beyond all our expeo-
tations.
1--WE had been there about an hour per
haps, when Heathcote, who had been
looking over at the opposite bluff, sud
denly grasped my arm, saying, under
his breath:
Look there, McTavishI What do
you think of that2'
"a break in the blum had m ade . sort
of easy descent into the valley, and
down this there were coming, in single
file, one, two, three, four-no less than
dozen bears of the large and dreaded
silver-tip kind; splendid fellows, most
Of them bent ON having q good time on
the sum 81 pes beside the stream.
1--WE hard dared to stir or breathe
To have alta ked them would have been
utter madness. Thankful might we be
If we could crawl away without their at
lacking US
"While lying there motionless, and
wishing to the bottom Of our hearts that
the rest of the party were on hand to
make matters even, d fierce bark came
from the bluff a little above where the
bears first showed themselves. 1t was fol-
lowed by whole chorus of deep-mouthed
baying, and an ms tant later there
rushed into view, fairly tumbling over
one another in their impetuous haste, q
great pack of dogs that we at once REQ
ognized as those we wished to see.
"They were certainly fearsome lot
of creatures. Some were long, lean and
shaggy, like Bruce; others were thick
bodied and smooth of hair, like Vixen,
and all were powerful, accommodating
brutes, a dozen Of whom might eat .
good-sized buffalo for dinner without
feeling uncomfo rtably overloaded after
their meal.
They sighted the bears the moment
they reached the edge of the bluff, and
at once rushed down to the attack, bark
ing as though they would split their
throats. The bears made ready to re-
ceive them by massing together at the
top Of a little knoll near the water, and
before we could fully realize What was
taking place the fight had begun.
$50 far as we could make out the dogs
numbered fifty at least, SO that, consid-
ering their size and strength, the odds
were good deal in their favor. but the
bears fought like heroes.
Eat first they crowded together in a
sort of circle, with heads facing out,
while the dogs ran round them, snarl-
ing and barking, and watching their
chance to spring. A few moments later
the circle was broken up into dozen
roaring, writhing, yelping groups, com
posed Of bear with four or five of the
dogs clinging, tenaciously to different
parts of it's body.
cit was the Vixen strain that told
now. Again and again would the bear
rising on his hind quarters, hurl che dogs
from him with mighty sweeps of his
, huge fore-paws, only to be penned at
, once and brought to the ground by a
fresh attack.
''At frequent intervals an agonizins
, death-howl would pierce its way through
!, the horrible clamor, as some unfortunate
, dog, caught in the graspof its maddenet
enemy, would be crushed to death in hi!
, resistless embrace.
. THE minutes slipped by and the fgh1
still ragged, but there could be no doub
, how it would result. The dogs had the
, best of it as to numbers and they v->re the
, equals of the bears in courage, ferocitJ
' and endurance. if not in sheer strength
"One by one the big brown bodies
: rolled over in the stiffness of death. A
+ the end of about half an hour the Hgh
was over. Not bear breathed ant
around their torn ca rcasses lay between
twenty and thirty of the dogs, as deat
3 as themselves, the best possible proc
!, of how fiercely and obstinately they ha
( fought.
''Not a word had passed between
. Heathcote and myself while all thi
= went on. We were too much taken u
r. with the extraordinary conflict going o.
n before our eyes even to look at eacl
other; but when it was all over, and tn
4 surviving dogs, having satisfied then
a selves that the bears were real-y al
a dead, lay down to lick their man
4 wounds before they began upon tn
b feast their brave victims had provide
v for them, touched Heathoote on tn
shoulder and whispered:
a "'We've seen the dogs. Let's tax
d good care they don't see u.s.
3: "After such q proof OF their powers .
d we had had, we were in no mind to clail
y nearer acquaintance with them on th
n score Of having once owned their al