The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-05-21
MIDWEST ADVENTURE.
THRILLING TALE or AN UN-
EQUALLED EXPERIENCE.
Tenderfoot and Silver Tip-Onc Up a Tree
While the Other Lay Dead BE-
meath It--How Hunter
Killed His First Bear.

II have heard and read many thrill
ing tales OF adventure in the West !"
said an old-timer the other day. ..but
i have never heard or read one that
equalled an experience OF my own
way back in the sixties / was ten
derfoot or the thing would never have
happened; at least not just in the way
it did.
1T was in the summer OF '63. and
myself aud two other fellows. well
known all over the state to-day, were
prospecting. 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 great extent on the
game we killed for our meat l was
the best shot in the outfit and did
most OF the hunting.
One day was out looking for deer
when saw whopping big
silver tip way up on the side OF q
mountain that was sparsely covered
with timber. 1t was the first bear
had ever seen. and ! at once deter
mined to kill him. So l crept eau
tiously up the mountain keeping out
OF sight of the bear as much as posi-
BILE. / got within 100 yards OF him,
and taking careful aim 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 instant and
without stopping to take any aim at
all he came tearing down the noun
tain in bee line for where l stood.
My rifle was muzzle loader and
had no time to reload it. In fact l
don't believe would have had time
to reload Winchester just then.
was not half so anxious to kill the
bear as l was to save my own bacon.
"A tree stood below me- and with
out stopping to measure its size or to
consider its adaptability as place of
refuge l sprang to it and went like q
coon chased by pack OF hounds. l
had reached the lower branches. about
ten 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
ing up after me.
We'll. he didn't come. and when
had climbed about as high as l could
get IRtraddled limb to await de-
velopments Bruin stood on his hind
legs and scratched about peck of
bark off the tree growing and snarl.
ing all the time. Then he got down
on ali fours. and after walking two or
three times around tho tree he finally
lay down, resting his head on his paws
like big dog.
Il began to feel easy now. and con-
graduated myself of my fortunate es-
cape. thought the bear would soon
get tired Of keeping watch and would
get up and go away. He did nothing
Of the kind. however. and hour after
hour sat there in that tree. watching
the bear. imagined could see him
move occasionally, and each time /
thought Now he's 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
cramped position that could scarcely
move. Something must be done and
1t must be done quickly. There was
but one thing to do. and that was to
get out of that tree.
MY rifle lay on the upper side. and
the bear was below the tree. l
climbed down to the lower branches.
and breaking off few OF the. smaller
limbs / threw them down on the bear.
He did not move. He must be asleep
/ thought and now was my time.
Carefully and noiselessly Skinned it
down the tree until I was within six
feet of the ground, when sprang off
on the upper side. grabbed my gun.
and ran like scared wolf to some
rocks, about Fifty yards away. When
safely behind the rocks l peeped out
The bear had not moved. Then I
loaded my gun. and, drawing a care
full bead with dead rest over a rock.
l shot the brute square between the
eyes Still he did not move. Again
| loaded my rifle cooked it. and
walked cautiously toward the bear.
When close enough 1 picked up a
stone and struck him with it. He did
not seem to mind it any.
Then l mustered up courage to
approach close enough to poke him
with my gun. He was rs stiff as a
poker and had been dead for hours.
I had been in the tree all day. freed
by dead bear! As said before.
was tenderfoot then"