Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-08-11

laid II was about three days alter inst
I made another find II was one that
almost frightened me when l looked at
il first IL seemed So impossible, 50 IN
real. am satisfied it was the largest
nugget that has ever been found. l
could not believe the evidence of my
own senses, and stood there holding II
III and looking at it in dazed sort Of
way. until Jasper called out.
"Hellol But that's something worth
Whiler''
Il was pleased with my good fortune,
but after 81 didn't think of it and go
crazy over it as some men would.
had never slept sounder in my life than
did that night, with nv treasure under
my head. But at last, event in my sound
sleep came an uneasy dream that some
thing was crawling under my pillow,
and after awhile | walked with start
to find some one bending over me and
hand under my pillow, stealthily feel
ing for my hard won treasures. With
a cry for Jasper | sprang up and crap
pied with the robber. With an oath he
pushed pistol against my breast and
fired. By the flash | saw tnat it was
Jasper himself. and then all was dark
ness and knew nothing. How long |
Law there UNCONSCIOUS ] never knew.
When / woke | was lying in pool of
blood That had flowed till il could flow
no more and had coagulated and finally
dried | was utterly unable to stir.
The wound was giving me agony. and
| was suffering the most tolorable thirst.
saw nothing before me but TO lie there
"A fa nv for / hot
Jasper had fled and | was alone in this
solitude. |: was daylight, broad day
| light. | had been there twelve hours
at least-perhaps twenty four. And
now, boys, began one of the most hor-
rible experience of my life | have
never been able 10 look back on it with
out shudder. There come times to
some of us, You know. when we grow
old in little while That was one of
the times.
II was lying there, half dead and
wishing could die the other half, when
heard step. thought at first per
haps it was Jasper. and | felt SIRE he
would finish killing me and that would |
be good thing. Then | wondered, /
IDLY, it il were some of the boys who |
had wandered from the camp below |
And then. all at once. / became con /
,cious that it was not mans step at |
All, but the step of some animal. /
Around and around the house it went /
Whenever ii passed the wall near which I
was lying it stopped and shifted at the
cracks Everything was so deathly still /
that | could hear its heavy breathing /
Aud lay still while that horrible, un-
seen creature went around and around 1
the cabin.
But, after all, didn't have to wait
so long. ltmerely seemed long because
there was such an agony of waiting |
The door of the cabin was made of /
small poles, rlveted together with 4.
wooden pins. 1t had been drawn shut
but not fastened. Slowly 1t began TO
move. Something was pushing against /
it from the outside. Directly it gave
way and came open with jerk. and in |
the doorway appeared the head and |
shoulders Of grizzly bear had not |
made mp my mind 10 die, but not in /
that horrible fashion. The mere thought
of it almost made me swoon; but | did
not swoon. lay there instead, while
the bear, the largest one | nave ever
seen. slowly drew itself into the cabin
and walked about the floor, snuiiing
here and there as it went, and mount
ing upon its launches to drag down n
piece OF meat from "A shelf and quietly
deyour it,
at seemed an age before it noticed .
me; an age during which | endured .
more tortures than ever went into a
similer length of time before. But at .
last il turned and came toward me, and /
| closed my eyes | can scarcely tell 1
you about H. My heart almost stops
beating when / think of II. That huge
muzzle nosing over my face and neck.
that hot breath on nv cheek, the whole
ponderous form st'ping over me and
smelling and nosIng from the other
side And at last came the supreme
moment. He grasped my arm and vas
just starting to drag me 10 the door,
when there arose the sound of voices a
little way off The grizzly dropped his
prey and rushed out at the door.
Twenty shots were fired into his body
and he fell in full sight OF where | lay.
The next moment they came pouring
IN, the boys from the camp, and they
were all about me, and | was CRYING
like a baby and could not say word.
1t all came ont Their. Jasper had gone
down to the old camp with both the
pack .mu'es. and had told them that the
indications were fairly good up our
way, hut that / haG taken the fever and
died. and he Conduit bear to stay
When ne Went on. saving that he was
oil for Denver. the boys packed mp and /
started tor our camp just in time
II they had come ten minutes later | #
wouldn't DO here to-day | lad hard .
work pulling through IS 1t was
.JaSper2 Oh, he WAS kilied bv a .
Mexican before he got 10 Denver. The /
Mexican disappeared and the nugget
with hmm. and no one knows where it is |
now Globe. Democrat