The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-19

L saw whOpptng big silver-tip way up on
the side OF a mountain that was SparSely
covered with timber. 1t was the first bear
/ bad ever seen and l at once determined to
kill him. So / crept cautiously uD the noun
tain. keeping out of sight of the bear as much
as osslble. j got within 100 yards of him,
and. taking careful aim just al the back
OF the shoulder, / let drive. The bear fell
at the crack of the gun, but was on his feet
again in an instant. and without stopping
TO take any aim at all he came tearing down
the mountain in bee line for where l
stood. My rife was muZZle-loader and
had no time to reload ii. In fact, don't be-
lieye would have had time to reload w H.
chester just then. Twas not hall so anxious
to kill that bear as i was TO save my own
bacon.
"a tree stood below me, and without stop
ping to measure its size or to consider It's
adaptability as place OF refuge, sprang
to it and went up like coon chased by
pack of hounds. / had reached the lower
branches. about 10 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
"WelI, he didn't come. and when / had
climbed about as high as / could get l strad-
died limb to await developments. Brain
stood on his hind legs and scratched about
a peck of bark off the tree, growing and
Snarlng 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.
Il began TO feel easy now and congratu-
lated myself on my fortunate escape. l
thought the bear would soon get tired Of
keeping watch and would get up and go
away. He did nothing of the kind, how
ever, and hour after hour / sat there in that
tree watching the bear. | imagined | could
see him move occasionally. and each time
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
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 approaching. and already ! was
so stiff from my position that | 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 bre aklng off a
few Of the smaller limbs. l threw them
down on the bear. He did not move. He
III uSt be asleep. thought. and now was my
time. Carefully and noiselessy l Skinned
ii down the tree until | mas within six feet
OF the ground, hen j sprang off on the
upper side. grabbed my gun and ran like a
scared wolt 10 some rocks about 90 yards
away.
when safely behind the rocks l peered
ont. The bear had not moved. Then /
loaded my gun, and. drawing 4 careful bead
with dead rest over rock l shot the
brute square between the eyes. Still he
did not move. Again | loaded my rife,
cooked it and walked cautiously toward the
bear. When close enough | picked up a
stone and struck him with it, he did not
seem to mind it any.
Then / mustered up courage enough to
approach close enough to poke him with my
gun. He was as stiff as a poker aad had
been dead for hours. | had been in the tree
all day, freed by a dead bear As | said
before | was a tepdeTfoot then"