The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-20

vER TIP
pied her over, and Jesse raised partially
to his feet and got his revolver in his
left hand. The bear recovered herself
and struck Jesse n blow with her paw
on the head and face that knocked him
down again. He held on to his re-
volver, and put q ball into the bears
body. Before he could shoot again the
bear seized his arm between her teeth
and crunched it clear through the bone
Jesse now lay SO that Bill could not fire
without endangering his life Bill
shouted to him to move his
head Jesse did SO, but the in
slant he moved it the bear snapped
at it quickly, as Jesse lay half
face upward, and closed down on his
head clear to the upper jaw. Jesse, in
describing this situation afterward,
said that he could look right down the
bears throat. But Arkansas Bill was
equal to the occasion, and placing the
muzzlc of his rife at the bears ear,
fired. The bear sprang back She did
not take the trouble, though, to loosen
her hold on Jesscs head and face, and
tore away the upper jaw, part of the
nose, one check, and a piece Of the
scalp nine inches long and five WIDE
The bear fell over against Arkansas
Bill dead. Her great body carried him
down with her and pinned him fast by
both legs. He extricated himself with
difficulty and limped to the aid of his
companion. Jesse was sitting up, q
ghastly spectacle. His jaw was hang
ing by n strip of flesh to his cheek Bill
cut it loose. While he was dressing
Jcsse's torn scalp the yearling bear,
which, with the two cubs, had been
silent spectators OF the fight, concluded
to take it up where the old bear had
been forced to leave it off, and made a
savage rush upon the two hunters. Ar
kansas Bill had lively tussle with the
young silvcr-tip before he managed to
kill it with his six-shootcr, every cham
Der being empticd before the bear gave
mp.
'Jcssc waited without groan or
word until Bill had finished the young
bear and returned to the dressing of his
wounds Having fixed them up the
best he could with the means at hand,
Bill took Jesse on his back and started
for camp. 1t was late in the afternoon,
and it was important that camp should
be reached before dark, for black
wolvNs were numerous in the hills, and
bothSfJ csse and Bill knew that they
would follow their trail if darkness
overlook them Some idea of Arlsan-
sas Bills capacity may be had when it
is known that Jesse Bell was a man six
feet four in his stocking feet, and made
in proportion. The camp was eight
miles away, and the way was extremely
rough Bill reached the camp with his
burden short time after dark, and was
not any too soon, for behind them, and
not far away, they began to hear the
cries of pursuing wolves.
when they reached camp Bill found
their cabin occupied by u prospector
who had stumbled in the shelter and
entered. He was timely visitor. To-
gcthcr Bill and the stranger fixed up a
bed of buclsslsin and fur on two tepee
poles. which they fastened to pony,
Indian fashion, and, placing Jesse on
place whore medical and surgical aid
could be had, Fort Dridger, one hundred
and twenty miles away, through n
rough and unbrolsen Wilderness. They
Travelled day and night, stopping only
to battle Jcsses wounds at the rivers
and creeks they had to cross. They ate
as they travelled, and on the afternoon
of the third day they came into Fort
Bridger with their terribly wounded
charge. On all that memorable jour
ncy Jesse Bell never once complained
of suffering either from pain or hard
ship. lie was placed in the hospital,
and tho surgeon told Arkansas Bill that
he could never survive his injuries But
he did and was out in Il month, sadly
and permanently disigured, but the
same tough and intrepid mountninccr
that he was before his great bear fight. +"
N. y. Sun.
81 say, Tom, wish was cater