The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-07


for although the tree was now within |
twenty-five yards, unless l could reach |
it at least three seconds ahead of the |
bear, she would pull me down in the |
act Of mounting.
The hearse, grunting roar OF the /
eager brute had changed to blood |
curdling growL and l fancied that l
could almost feel her hot breath on my
back, when a sudden remem brance of
some old-time story struck me. Quick |
as lightning fash l drew my belt
knife and with one stroke severed the |
light strap OF the oil-skin satchel con- |
tanning the remains of my lunch. |
The bag fell to the ground, and, sure
enough, the bear stopped short and
tore it into shreds.
Then, totally ignoring the bread and
meat, she came on again with re-
doubled rage. But the precious three
seconds had been lost and gained, and
she was yet four lengths behind me
when l reached the tree and scrambled
up to the first branch, about twenty
feet from the ground-though barely In
time to save myself, for the long-bodied
beast reared str aight beside the trunk
and came wi thin hairs breadth OF
catching my foot as / assembled
Most fortunately for me, adult
grizzlies do not climb, nor could even
a common black bear have gone
up that sapling, the stem of which was
only nine inches in diameter. Though
safe for the present. / was by no means
IN a comfortable position, none of the
branches being large enough to sus-
tain my whole weight Consequently,
In order to support myself, l was
obliged TO cling with one arm to its
body, and very firmly, too, as the
bafied monster rose several times on
her hind feet, shook the tree violently
and tore off great strips of bark with
her powerful claws
What if she should take notion to
dig it up by the roots? She could have
done so in fifteen minutes. Oh. how Bit
terly now regretted not taking Jim's
advice to bring my revolver along!
After awhile my jailer got tired of
trying to dislodge me, but instead of
going of she uttered a loud, peculiar
cry, and the next moment the two cubs
came shufhing along and joined her.
Then, while her babies refreshed
themselves, the grim mother sat COM
posedly down at the foot of the tree,
evidently preparing for regular block
AIDE.
If should live a thousand years I
could never forget that awful night
/ After dark the temperature fell TO
! the freezing point, and / kept from
perishing only by repeatedly climbing
/ higher up the tree and then sliding
/ down to my Old position.
1 Even so could hardly keep my blood
/ circulating, and / was so worn ont by
! fatigue and so deadly sleepy that /
was in nomenta-y danger of dropping
! into the hungry jaws below.
had hoped that the cold would in
/ duce the, bear to retire TO the cave with
/ her cubs, in which case ! might take =
short run and gain larger tree, but
the cunning beast seemed quite con-
tented with her present quarters, and
long after ! had ceased to distinguish
her brownish-gray form on the SINH
larlv colored ground ! could hear her
moving about and coddlng her young
ones.
AT this time, the moon was two or
three DAYS beyond the full, and It must
have been past midnight when it rose
high enough to clear the nountain-tops
and light up my valley prison. Then
the bear and / could again sec each
other plainly. fact Of which she took
advantage 20 give my roosting- place
another series OF vigorous shakes.
If the angry beast had known enough
To keep this up for five minutes at any
one time, must have lost nay hold;
but. luckily. she didn't, and l always
renewed my grip during her quiet
spells
What was to be the end Of It al?
The dumb brute could maintain her
fast until ! should drop from exhaus-
ton. and. II she kept watch long
enough, that result was certain. In
this desolaJe place no outside help
could be expected, and. barring a com
mon butchers knife. I was entirely uu-
armed.
"But surely" ! reasoned, tho OLD
fend Will 60 of first thing in the morn,
ing TO look FOR food, and can then
either make good lay retreat or kintle
q ire which viii keep her ~ bay and,
perhaps, by its smoke, attract some
wandering prosQecto-."
These reflections, though quite con-
soling 10 me, didn't exactly harmonic
with Mrs Bruins views The rising