The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-11-05
TERRIBLY MaNCLEO BY A BEAR.
Trooper Barretts Mortal Hurts Under
the Aim of Forty Rifles


I'm 1876 | was in the service as a
scout on the Big Horn expedition. We
were OH Rush creek. branch of the
Big Horn, in Wyoming and the scouts
were riding ahead keeping Il lookout
for Indian signs. III tie advance were
Bill Cody. old California Joe, Barrett.
The trooper. and myself just behind
u Was NJ. Troop of the Third Cavalry.
Seeing something moving in the
sage-brush about 200 yards away
called the attention of the others to it,
In Il moment Cody said It's bear:
give it to him. Rillyr and banged
away. The bear broke cover and ran
10 the creek. and all of us fired at him.
Some of the bullets hit HIM but he
didn't stop. He tumblci down the
high bank and crossed The creek on Il
beaver dam. Barrett disnounted. slid
down the bank and followed the bear
across the beaver dam.
There was larmc pool above the
dam, and between the pool AMI the
opposite bluff was a raak growth of
lule. into which the bear had gone out
of sight. California Joe shouted to
Barrett not TO 20 into the tules. That
bars hurt. said Joe. and he'll fight
in that brush. Ali of us told Barrett
to be careful. but that only made him
mad, Think never hunted bar be-
fore?' ho gIowlCd, and. baying no at
tention TO our warming he began max
ing his way into the tulcS.
The firing had brou .ht tie troop
up in a hurry, and the whole command
WAS strung out along the bluff watch
ing Barrett. Perhaps B,rrett had
hunted bear before. hut he did the
most foolish thing ever saw done by
a man ia this world. Instead of hold
ing his carbine in both hands and part
inc the tulcs with the barrel as he adj
vanced. he held it in his right hand by
the middle Of the barrel and pushed
the tules out Hf The way with his left
hand.
In moment the lules closed be-
hind him. and the next instant his CAR
biae came whirling through the air
and fol into the pool. Then came the
most awful shrek | ever heard. God!
| can hear il now, The tulcs swayed
and cracked. and out game Barrett
and the bear, locked together and
wrestling for life. Barretl's back was
toward us. and he was struggling
with all his might TO drag the bear
across the narrow strip of open ground
to the water.
Forty carbines and three long rifles
were cooked and levcled in an instant.
but Barrett was between lis and the
hear, and Ye dared not fire. Don't
take your eye from the head, said old
l. .lNainIi for n.Hpnipp
aud let go And there we stood, more
than forty men. on the top Of the bluff
and not more than fifty yards away,
watching that death struggle on the
narrow strip of sand. the muzzle of
every gun following the moti0qs Of
tue man and bear and every finger
aclfing to press trigger. Three men
If the plains and Il whole troop Of vet
.raGs stood there with every nerve
strained and not shot could be tired.
But while we old frontiersmen
stoon there sighting our rifles 10 no
purpose one of the troopers. q raw re-
crnit named George Peunyroal, from
PennsyIvania. slid down the bank,
crossed the beaver dam, and ran up to
where Barrett and the bear were fight
ing. STOPPING down beside them the
trooper paked the muzzie Of his car
zine into the bears mouth and pulled
TIL. trigger, and the whole top of the
beal's head went up IN the air.
old California Joe looked at the
bov ia admiration, and. turning TO
Cody, hc said: Bill. we've let ten
derfoot come along and show Us how
to tackle bar. Hes got more sense
Than the whole OF US.
Barrett was fearfuily hurt. A
great piece of liesh was torn from his
breast and the muscles and cords of
his lett arm were ali tai! bare, am
worth il dozen dead m@D yet, said
Barrett. No bar can get away with
n.sa. and then lie swooned. Toward
suAdoun Sarrett's face began to turn
aslry gray, and | knew he could not
last mach longer. The chill Of the
night breeze came, and saw q little
tremor in Barretts frame. | put q
spoonful of brandy to his lips and he
orened his eyes and looked at me
biaudly for moment. Then he rec
ognizrd me.
Didn't 1 tell you, Bill, that bar
could kill -" and his chin dropped
upon his bl east and his eyes turned
upward under the wideopen lids, -
81. Pal PiOneey'.Press.