Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-12-18
RsrwIxr seAa AND SMOKE.


the Michigan Woods.
! Last Friday afternoon Peter Nelson.
Swede, who was on his way to Grand ma.
| rias. met with an adventure when aooa'
fifteen miles from that place which nearly
resulted fatally.
| Last Friday morning he started TOT
Grand Marias on the stage road Win
horse and blackboard. He Travelled along
slowly and was probably about nIteen
| miles from his destination when ne hearu
a noise in the bushes and stopped to investi-
gate. He had Winchester along with
him, and taking it from the rig ne stepped
off the road into the bushes. Two pear
subs were playing together not moro than
two or three rods from him.
They could not have been more than one
or two weeks old, and thinking he would
like to capture them alive he made q
few steps toward them. The cubs started
to run, and Nelson started In pursuit,
throwing aside his rife, thing which
a moment later he regretted doing. DE
succeeded In heading one o1 the cubs on
toward the road, which he had nearly
reached, when he heard a sudden crash be-
hind him, followed by an angry roar, and
turning, he beheld, to his horror, the moth
er OF the cubs not many feet from him.
All thoughts Of the cubs vanished from his
mind He thought only Of his own safety.
With greater alacrity than he had shown
In pursuing young bruin, he started for
the road and reached 1t just in time to see
his horse make mad dash up the road.
Nelson knew that his only chance OF escape
was In climbing tree. He had no time to
select a tree, but Skinned" up the drst
one he came to, which was, fortunately,
large enough to bear his weight, but too
small for the bear to climb.
Hardly had he got we'll out OF the way
before his pursuer reached the spot more
enraged than ever at his escape. The AMI
NAL paved the ground at the foot OF the
tree, making vain and desperate attempts
to climb it, and accompanying these at
tempts with roars of anger. Nelson looked
on from his lofty perch with some alarm,
and wished he had his rife for about one
minute. The time was wearing away.
though slowly to him. and he was becom-
ing tired. He wondered II he would be
compelled to remain there all night, and
he wondered, too, what had become of his
horse. But the worst was yet to come,
and 1t was not long before he realized this
fact.
Dhoho hhi ouC hli III soiuC tluicS
but rs it caused him no Inconvenience he
thought nothing of it. But it became
thicker and thicker, and Nelson at last
found it hard to breathe. On the ground
there seemed to be not much smoke, and
Bruin seemed to be determined to stay
The cubs were but a few feet away. The
wind became stronger, and to the great dis
may Of Peter Nelson the air was filled with
I,,,-, .s>I Loo Al.
to be getting uneasy too. But he could
stand it no longer, rs the smoke was suffo-
eating him. So, taking his pocket knife
he opened the blade and started to slide
down the tree, thinking that possibly he
would be allowed to go on his way un-
molested, but determined to fight it out il
necessary
The bear was then lying close to the
ground but short distance away. Mel
son dropped from the tree when about half
way down and started on run up the road
in the direction his horse had gone as fast
us his legs could carry him. but he had
gone but few steps when he stumbled
and fell. Before he could arise bruin was
up to him, and he received heavy blow
on the back from the animals paw. All
Nelson could do was to try and dodge the
blows aimed at him. Several times the
bears sharp claws pierced and tore his
flesh. In the struggle Nelson finally sue
ceeded In reaching the spot where he had
left his Winchester, and with great deal
of trouble managed to pick it off the
ground. The pocket knife which he had
thought of using proved useless to him in
defending himself. But now, with a rifle
Ia his hand, he felt as if he stood a good
chance If he could only find an opportunity
to use it.
The bear seemed to realize this fact, too,
for she made several attempts to knock it
out OF his hands; but by lodging around
Nelson managed to get in such position
that he was enabled to fire three shots in
quick succession at the animal, two of
which took effect
Nelson then killed the cubs, knowing
they could not live without their mother.
He found that the horse had broken loose
from the blackboard and run into the
woods. The wind had changed and blown
the smoke away by that time. He did not.
however, go to Grand Marias, but "hoofedn
it back.
His clothes were badly torn, and he was
but not seriously, hurt from the
wounds he received. New berry Democrat