The Arizona sentinel., 1892-07-30
TREED BY A DEAD BEAR
A Tenderfoots Novel and Painful
Experience In the West.
He Spent Several Hours Up o Tree Wait.
ing for Bruin Go Leave, but Grow.
Ing Desperate He Dese0nds TO
Find His Bearship Dead.

an old-timer the other day to q Buttt
(Mont-l Daily Inter-Mountain reporter
"but have never heard or read of one
that equaled an experience of my OWL
way back in the eos. was tender
foot or the thing would never have hap
pened-at least, not just in the way Il
did.
1T was In the summer of '63, and my
self and two other fellows, well known
all over the state to-day, were prospect
ing, 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 O great
extent on the game we killed for our
meat. 1 was the best shot in the outfit,
and did most of the hunting.
"One day was out looking for deer
when I saw whopping big si1ver-tip
way up on the side of mountain that
was sparsely covered with timber. It
was the first bear had ever seen, and I
at once determined to kill him. So
crept cautiously up the mountain, keep
ing out Of sight Of the bear as much as
possible. got within one hundred
y
just back Of the shoulder let drive.
The bear fell at the crack Of the gun,
but he was on his feet again in an in
slant, and without stopping to take any
aim at all he came tearing down the
mountain in q bee line for where 1
stood. Ny rife was a muzzle-loader
and had no time to reload it. In fact,
don't believe would have had time TO
reload Winchester just then. Twas
not half so anxious to kill the bear as I
was to save my own bacon.
"a tree stood below me, and without
stopping to measure its size or to con-
slider its adaptability as o place Of
refuge sprang TO it and went up like o
coon chased by a pack Of hounds. I
had reached the lower branches, about
ten feet from the ground, and had not
yet thought Of looking down, when I
heard the bear scratching at the foot Of
the tree and imagined he was coming up
after me.
"Well, he didn't come, and when
had climbed about as high as could get
/ straddled limb to await develop
ments. Brnin stood on his hind legs
and scratched about peck Of bark off
the tree, growing and snarling all the
time. Then he got down on all fours,
and after walking two or three times
around the tree he finally lay down,
resting his head on his paws, like big
dog.
81 began to feel easy now, and con-
graduated myself on my fortunate es-
cape. thought the bear would soon
get tired Of keeping watch and would
get mp and go away. He did nothing
Of the kind, however, and hour after
hour sat there in that tree watching
the bear. I imagined could see him
move occasionally, and each time I
thought, now he is going to get up
But he lay still, and finally began to
break branches and throw them down
on him, and 1 yelled at him until l was
hoarSe. It was all in vain. There he
lay, and he seemed determined to re-
main there until he starved me out. Ny
situation began to grow desperate.
Night was approaching, and already
was so stiff from my position that I
could scarcely move. Something must
be done, and it must be done quickly.
There was but one thing to do, and that
was to get out Of the tree.
my rife lay on the upper side and
The bear was below the tree. l climbed
down TO the lower branches, and, break
Ing OF q few Of the smaller limbs, 1
threw them down on the bear. He did
not move. He must be asleep, 1 thought,
md now was my time Carefully and
Skinned it down the tree
until was within six feet Of the
ground, when sprang of on the upper
side, grabbed my gun and ran like a
scared wolf to some rocks about fifty
yards away. When safely behind the
rocks peeped out. The bear had not |
moved. Then loaded my gun, and,
irawing careful bead, with a dead |
est over a rock, shot the brute square
between the eyes. Still he did not |
noYe- Again loaded my rife, cooked
and walked cautiously toward the
near. When close enough picked up
stone and struck him with it. He did
lot seem to mind it any.
Then mustered up courage to ap-
roach close enough to poke him with
ny gun. he was as stiff as poker
md had been dead for hours. had
BEEN in the tree all day. treed by a
lead bear! As I said before, was q
,enderfoot then"