Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1893-03-16
Saint Mary's Beacon


We were on Rush Greek, a branch
Of the Big Horn, in Wyoming, and
the scouts were riding ahead, keep
ing lookout for Indian signs. In
the advance we're Bill Cody and old
California Joe, Barrett, the troop
er, and myself. Just beyond as
was NJ troop Of the third cavalry.
Seeing something move in the
sage brush about 200 yards away, !
called the attention Of the others to
it. In moment Cody said: It's
a bear; give it to him, Billy and |
banged away. The bear broke cover
and ran to the creek and all of US
fired at him. Some of the bullets
hit him, but he didn't stop. He
tumbled down the high bank and
crossed the creek on q beaver dam.
Barrett dismounted, slid down the
bank and followed the bear across
the beaver dam.
There was large pool above the
dam, and between the pool and the
opposite bluir was q rank growth of
tules, into which the bear had gone
ont of sight. California Joe shout
ed to Barrett not to 60 into the
tules. THAT bars hurt said Joe,
and he'll fight in that brush All
of us told Barrett to be careful, but
that OILY made him mad. Think
/ never hunted bar before? he
growled, and, paying no attention
to our warnings, he began making
his way into the tules.
The firing had brought the troop
up in q hurry, and the whole COM
mand was strung out along the bluff
watching Barrett. Perhaps Barrett
had hunted bear before, but he did
the most foolish thing ! ever saw
done by man in this world. In
stead of holding his carbine in both
hands and parting the tules with
the barrel as he advanced, he held
it in his right hand by the middle
of the barrel and pushed the tules
out of the way with his left hand.
In moment the tules closed
behind him, and the next instant
his carbine came whirling through
the air and fell into the pool. Then
came the most awful shrek l ever
heard. God! ! can hear it now.
The tules swayed and cracked and
out came Barrett and the bear,
locked together and wrestling for
life. Barrett's back was toward
us, and he was struggling with all
his strength to drag the bear across
the narrow strip of open ground
into the water.
Forty carbines and three long
rifles were cooked and leveled in an
instant, but Barrett was between us
and the bear and we dared not fire.
Don't take your eyes from the
bead said old Joe to me. Watch
for an opening and let co. And
there we stood, more than forty
men, on top of the bluff and not
more than fifty yards away, watch
ing the death struggle on the mar
row strip of sand, the muzzle OF
every gun following the motions of
the man and bear and every finger
aching to press a trigger. Three
men of the plains and the whole
troop of veterans stood there with
every nerve strained, and not shot
could be fired.
But while we old frontiersmen
stood there sighting our rifles to no
purpose, one of the troopers. raw
recruit named George Pennyroyal,
from Pennsylvania, slid down the
bank, crossed the beaver dam and
ran up to where Barrett and the
bear were fighting. STOPPING down
beside them the trooper poked the
muzzle of his carbine into the bears
mouth and pulled the trigger. and
the whole top of the bears head
went mp in the air.
old California Joe looked at the
boy in admiration, and turning to
Cody he said, Bill, we've let a
tenderfoot come along and show us
how to tackle bar. He's got more
sense than the whole of MS.
Barrett was fearfully hurt. A
great piece of flesh was torn from
his breast and the muscles and cords
of his left arm were all laid bare.
'Tm worth dozen dead men vet
said Barrett. No bar can get away
with me- and then he swooned.
Toward shutdown Barrett's face
began to turn ash gray, and l knew
he could not last much longer.
Ill., Ct .k:ll II IL