Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-05-13
WlLD-WEST ADVENTURE
THRILLING TALE OF AN UN-
EOUALLED EXPERIENCE,
Fenderfoot and silver Tip One Up n Tree
While the Other Lay Dead Be
meath It-How Il Hunter
Killed His First Bear

/
ing tales OF adventure in the West
said an old timer the other day. but
| have mover heard or read one that
equalled an experience of my own
! way back in the sixties | was "a ten
derfoot or the thing would never have
: happened; at least not just in the way
| it did.
| ut was in the summer of '63, and
myself AMI two other fellows, we'll
known all over the state to day. were
| prospecting. and were camped in the
hills near the head of one of the
tributaries OF Alder Gulch. Grub
was mighty dear in those days and
we depended to great extent on the
game we killed for our meat. | was
the best shot in the outfit and did
most of the hunting
One day | was out looking for deer
wheA saw a whopping big
silver tip way up on the side of a
mountain that was sparsely covered
with timber 1t was the first bear |
had ever seen and ! at once deter
mined to kill him. So | crept eau
tiously up the mounta n keeping out
OF sight OF the bea" as much as posi-
bic. | got within 100 yards OF him.
and taking careful aim Just back of the
shoulder, | let drive. Tho bear fell
at the crack OF the gun, but he was
on his feet again in an instant and
without stopping to take any aim at
al he came tearing down the noun
tain in bee line for where | stood
MY rifle was u muzzle loader. and |
had no time to reload it. In fact |
don't believe | would have hal time
TO reload Winchester Just then.
was not half so anxious to kill the
bear as | was to save my own bacon.
IA tree stood below me and with
out stopping to measure its size or TO
consider its adaptability us "a place of
refuge, l sprang to it and went like a
coon chased by pack of hounds. |
had reached the lower branches about
ten feet from the ground. and had not
yet thought OF looking down. when |
heard the bear scratching at the foot
OF the tree and imagined he was com
ing up after me.
We'll he didn't come and when |
had climbed about as high us [ could
get | stra1dled limb to await de-
velopments. Brain stood on his hind
legs AMI scratched about peck of
bark of the tree, growing and snarl-
ing all the time, Then he got down
on all fours, aud after walking two or
three times around the tree he finally
lay down, resting his head on his paws
like big dog
Il began to feel easy now. and con
graduated myself of my fortunate es.
cape. thought the bear would sooa ,
get tired of keeping watch and would |
get up and go away. He did nothing
OF the kind. however, and hour after
hour | sat there in that tree watching
the bear. | imagined could see him
move occasionally, and each time |
thought, Now he's going to get up
But he lay still, and finally began to
break branches and throw them down
on him. ami yelled at him until |
was hoarse 1t was all in vain,
There he lay and he seemed deter
mined to remain there until he starved
me out My situation began to grow
desperate. Night was approachin ,.
AID already | was so stiff from my
cramped position that | could scarcely
move Something must be done and
it must be dore quickly. There was
but one thing to do and that was to
get out of that tree.
Ny rife lay on the upper side. and
the bear was below the tree.
down to the lower branches.
and freaking off a few of the smaller
limbs threw them down on the bear.
He did not move. He must be asleen
! thought and now was my time.
Carefully and noiselessly Skinned i,
down the tree until ! was within six
feet OF the ground when | sprang off
on The upper side, grabbed my gun.
and ran like scared wolf to some
rocks. about fifty yards away When
safely behind the rocks peeped cut
The bear had not moved. Then /
loaded my gun, and, drawing care
full bead with dead rest over a rock
| shot the brute square between the
eyes. Still he did not move. Again
loaded my rifle, cooked it. and
walked cautiously toward the bear.
When close enough ! picked ND
stone and struck him with il. He did
not seem to mind it any
Then | mustered up courage TO
approach close enough to poke him
with my gun. He was as stiff as
poker and had been dead for hours
had been in the tree all day. freed
BY IA dead bear, As | said before, |
was u tenderfoot then