Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-04-14

A Tondefiout and sii,er Zip That Held
Remarkable Conference.

A Tondeif foot aud sii,er Tip That Held
Remarkable Conferences.
II have hcaid and read many
thrilling tales OF adventure in the
west, said an old timer the other
day "bnt have never heard or read
one that oqualcl an experiences of my
own way back In the sixties. / was
a tcndcrfoot or the thing would mover
have happened; at least not Just ia
the way ID did
II was IN the summer Of 1868. and
myself and two other fellows. well
known all over the state today. wcro
prospecting. and wore camped In the
hills near tho head " one Of tho trib.
utafies Of Alder Gulch Grub was
mighty dear In those days. and W,
depended 10 a great extent ON the
game We killed for our meat ] wns
the best shot in the QUITE and did
most Of the hunting
'Ono day was out looking for
deer when ! saw a whopping big III.
yer tip way up ON the side Of amour.
tain that WIS sparscly covered with
timber. II was the first bear had
ever seen, aud at oncc determined
to kill him. So crcpt cautiously NJ
the mountain, keeping out Of sight
or the bear ~ much - 20 sible. |
got within 100 yards of him. and
taking careful aim just back Of tho
shoulder, let drive Tile bear fell
at the crack Of the gun, but he was
ON his feel again ia ava instant, and
without stopping 30 take any aim ut
all he came tearing down the noun.
tain IN a bee line for where stood.
My rife was "a muzzle loader. and
Ind no time 90 reload Il. In fact |
don't believe l would have had tiino
TO reload Winchester just then
was not half so anxious to kill the
bear rs ! was 20 sayc my own bacon
"A tree stood below me. aud with.
out stopping TO measure ia size or to
consider It's adaptnbility ~ a place Of
refuge sprang TO IL and wont Ike 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 ut
the foot Of tho tree and imagined he
was coming up after me.
"Won, he didn't como. and whom
had climbed about a. high ~ could
get ! strnddlcl a limb TO await do
yelopnents. Bruin stood ON his hind
legs and scratched about a peek uf
bark on the tree, growing aud snnrl.
ing all tho time Then no got down
ON all four, aud after walking two
or three times around the troo no
finally lay down, resting his head ON
his paws like a big dog
Il began to feel easy now and con
graduated myself ON my fortunate
escape. thought the bear would
soon get tired OF keeping watch aud
would get up and go away. Ho did
nothing Of the kind, however. and
hour after hour | sat there in that
tree, watching the bear imagined
l could SEQ him move occasionally,
aud each time ! thought, Now he Il
going to get mp But he lay still.
and finally ! began TO break branches
and throw them down on him, and
yelled at him until was hoar-e Il
was all in vain There lac lay, and
he seemed determined TO remain
there until he starved mo out My
situation began to grow desperate
Night was approaching, and already
i was so stiir from my cramped posi-.
ton that could scarcely move
Something must BE- done, and 1t must
be done quickly There was but one
thing 10 do, and that was TO get out
OF that tree.
MY rifle lay on the upper side.
and tho bear was below the tree.
down 20 the lower branches,
and breaking OH few OF the small.
CT limbs | threw them down at the
bear. He did not move. He must
DO asleep, / thought and now was
my time Carefully und noiselessly
! shinucd It down tho tree until
was within siN feet OF the ground,
when l sprang Oh on the upper side,
grabbed my gun and ran like a
scared wolf TO some rocks fifty yards
away. When safely behind the
rocks ! poepCd out. The bear had
not moved Then loaded my gun.
and driving IA tuppfnt h,n1 with a