The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-21
FOUGHT TWO GRIZZLIES.
Story Of One Of the Most Terrific
Experiences With Wild
Animals.
Three Prospectors, Starving in the
Hills, Run Across Eight
Big Bears.
s. X. Wood Falls Into tho Claws of Two of
Them-Mangled in a Fearful
Manner.

San Francisco Examiner: The name of a
well-known citizen of Humboldt county on
the Russ house register a few days ago re-
called to his friends the story of a desperate
fight with grizzlies in the early days.
1t was in the fall of 1851. and three starv-
ing men crawled through a thick growth of
Humboldt county timber and found them
selves facing eight monster grizzly bears.
Coaded to desperation by hunger the men
determined to attack the ferocious animals
The heart of Thomas Seabring failed as the
little party drew near tho bears and he sought
safety by climbing a tree. The other men, S,
K. Wood and Isaac Wilson, threw prudence
to the winds and advanced to within fifty
yards of the bears. Wood fired his rifle and
the nearest bear fell, biting and tearing the
ground rs though in the agonies of death.
While Wood was reloading his rifle Wilson
brought down a bear. Five Of the grizzlies
retreated up a %rayine, but one shaggy mon
ster remained with her fallen companions.
She sat erect on her launches and turned
her fierce eyes on the men as though DARING
them TO BATTLE.
Wilson, awed by her aspect, ran for a
tree. while Wood tried to reload his Gun.
but found himself unable to ram the ball
down on the powder. While in this pre-
document the grizzly that had not fled
rushed at him.. Wood succeeded in getting
into a small buckeye tree and used his gun
to beat off the bear as she attacked the
tree with the intention of shaking him out
of il.
While he was engaged in fighting of this
bear Wood. t. his horror, saw the animal
he hid wounded rise and rush toward him,
No blows that he could infiict on the
wounded animal could check her. At the
fist spring she made the tree broke, and
tie bears jumped for Wood. He gained
his feet. and made with all speed down the
mountain to where anothfr small tree
stood about Thirty yards away. He reached
the tree with the wounded bear at his heels,
and Selling the trunk he swan his body
around 30 ns to give the bear room to pass
him, which she did, %piunging headlonp
down the mountain about twenty yards.
Before Wood could. with his failing
8treneth. swing himself into the tree the
second bear bounded up and seized his
right ankle. By this time the wounded
bear returned, and as Wood fell she
snapped at his face. He lodged and she
caught his left shoulder.
Then commenced a terrific struggle. The
maddened animals tugged in opposite di-
%rectlons at Woods ankle and shoulder, and
he was in imminent danger of boing torn
to rieces. He fought as best he could. but
each %exertion he put forth only intensified
the rage OF the bears.
When he was almost fainting with pain
the bear that had not been wounded
dropped his ankle and trotted slowly after
his companions up the ravine. Then the
wonnde bar let go he hold on his shout
der. Wood sank back OF tho ground and
lay perfectly quiet as though dead, hardly
daring to breathe. : he grizzly stood ma
jesticallv over him. watching for tire slight
est movement, and snarling with rage.
The pain that racked the mans frame was
frishttul, tnd he risked his life in an effort