The morning call., 1891-04-08
KILLED A GRIZZLY.
Terrible Encounter With an Infatuated
Bear.

Terrible Encounter With an Infatuated
Bear.
A German lsbOrer, by name Friedrich
Bernsdorf, and his son, lad OF IL, called
Fritz, encountered near the Little Colorado
few days ago a grizzly bear, and, attacking
il, were themselves nearly killed before they
succeeded in giving the huge beast its death
blow, says a correspondent Of the Globe
Democrat. Bernsdorf, who is employed as
herder on the Prairie Rose ranch, lives in
small hut near the river, and, having been
in this country only a few months, had
never seen n grizzly. and did not know what
one was. But Is safe to predict that he will
know hereafter and think twice before at
lacking them. Bsrnsdorf and his SOU were
engaged in telling timber on knob rising
some 20 feet above the surrounding coun-
try, near Hardy, AriZ., when Fritz, step
ping backward, crashed through heap OF
brush, which concealed small cave, or,
rather, hole in the ground. He fell dis
lance Of three or four feet and lighted on a
soft body, which stirred slightly and
growled once or twice. lie managed to
scramble out with his fathers help, and the
two, deciding that FritZ's tumble had dis
tuTbed the winter nap of bear, resolved to
roast bruin out and enjoy some of the steaks
he was warranted to furnish. The boy car
/ ried small rife which he had brought
along, hoping to catch glimpse Of u rabbit
or two, and this, with their axes, were all
| the weapons the two possessed. Fritz fired
| several shots into the den, the first Of
rou-ed only a fierce growing, followed
presently by nound of powerful claws
scratching up the earth. The hunters were
leaning over the cavity, AK in hand, when
the grizzly decided things were getting alto
gether too warm, and, keeping up her
growing, climbed out.
Fritz, taking aim at her as she scrambled
up, fired close to her head, but contrived
only to plow q long, jagged wound alops
her Jaw, which only served to further H.
furiate the animal without staying her for
moment She rushed upon .ho boy, and,
Overtaking him as he ran from her, caught
him IN her powerful embrace, but Berndorf,
attacking her with his Ak from behind, she
dropped the son to turn upon the father,
who met her as she sprang toward him
with a blow of his ak. Missing the bear,
however, he jumped behind small pine,
calling at the same time to his son to fire
upon the animal, which he did woundtng
her in the side With the blood pouring
from her the bear paused in her persuit of
BeTndorf and began tearing up the earth
and slapping it to the hole. Thinking
her worse wounded than she was, Fritz,
throwing away his empty gun, attacked her
with his ak, while his father did the same.
The grizzly, rearing up on her hind quarters
once more made break for the boy and
grabbed his ak from him with such force as
to severely strain his arm ana nearly dis
able him, then catching him TO her hairy
breast she started in a run down the little
hill. with BernsdOrf i'll close pursuit. I'M
peded by the weight of her captive, who
kicked her as violently as his position would
allow with his heavy boots, the grizzly was
soon overtaken by the father, who. nerved
by his sons peril, rushed upon her fearless
of her great paw with she struck al him,
holding the boy to her with the other arm.
Fritz then managed to Squirn from her
clasp, though the bear, endeavOring to hold
him, scratched the entire clothing from the
upper par. of his person, and deeply scanned
his back and shoulders with her powerful
nails.
BernsdOrf dealt her enc blow after
another, hacking her nearly TO pieces, but
with remarkable tenacity of life, and still as
game as at tile beginning of the fray, she
flung herself upon him with swapping Jaws
for her in strength fell under heir we light,
and striking his head violently against the
the rock lost consciousness, when the grizzly
for some moments continued to chew his
shoulder between her powerful teeth, at the
same time digging into his limbs with the
claws of her hind feet. Seeming to think
from his unresisting quiet that he was dead,
she rose, and just as Fritz rushed at her
with urlifted AK, dropped on her all fours
and was about to make for the woods. The
boy swinging his weapon about his head
brought it down with all his might upon the
skull of the grizzly, which dropped Instantly
dead at his feet, with crack nearly divid-
ing her big blunt head and exposing the
brains.