Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-07-09
INA WILD COUNTRY.
Three Bears in q Fight-A Duel to the
Death.


famous gorge on the North American
continent, is situated about forty-nve
miles from Fort Custer, Mont, In q
southwesterly direction. This tremend-
Gus chasm of nature Is genuine para
disc for the hunter, but only to those
having an abundance Of nerve and
oluck, for the animals that range IN
that locality are among the most dan
ReTous and savage in the Northwest.
Few, even OF the most hardy and
daring, have ever penetrated into the
uttermost depths of this great mountain
rent, for after passing the jaws OF the
canon from the northern entrance, IL Is
nowhere safe to make camp over
night unless in parties OF considerable
numbers, and well armed and watchful
for emergencies.
The Black canon Is the favorite
abode of the fiercest members OF the
bruin family, especially the largest OF
the grizzly species and the huge and
dangerous silver tip. This latter anil
NAL is d mongrel resulting from the
union OF the true grizzly and the brown
or cinnamon bear, combining all the
ierocity and savageneSs of the former
with the strength and agility OF the
latter. The silver tip is really beau
tiful animal, and were it not for bis
ugly nature and determined hostility to
mankind, he would be much more
popular brute with hunters and guides
on the frontier, who never lose an OPP
pertunity of filing his skull with lead
whenever they can.
An old hunter, named Jim Anderson,
living on the southern slope OF the Big
Horn mountains at O point where the
lower end of the Black canon opens In
10 Wyoming, relates most inter
esting incident which befell him while
making the journey through the Black
canon from it's northern entrance to
the southern outlet. He tells the
story in this way:
81 had gone north by way of Dead
wood for little prospect In the Belt
mountains, but missed the lead l was
after, and as the snow begun TO fly and
cold weather was coming on, l cached
nv traps and struck of for home by
the nearest trail, with m y rife and
bit OF provisions in canvas bag for
company.
1t was terribly lonesome at times,
and at night the yelping OF bowling
catamounts and the screeching OF owls
made all sleep impossible, I'll tell you
one incident now that happened of an
afternoon, and some other time will
give you more.
The Indians had told me the canon
was full of bears, and found before
long that they were only half right
about it.
There's more bears to the square acre
in the Black canon than anywhere else
in America. 1t was about 2 o'clock in
the afternoon when, coming along
rocky trail.I saw ahead a thicket OF
uuaking asps, but this especial thicket
was quaking so hard and bending and
shaking so violently that knew there
must be game in 1t.
"Old boy" said l to myself, you've
got an elk"
Slipping six charges into the chamber
of nv rife cooked the gun and, hold
ing it ready, crept softly forward and
secured a safe position behind bunch
of brush. Then came howlings. snarl-
ings, and awful growlings, and going
forward to another safe spot l saw In
clearing not fifty yards distant three
bears going it hammer and tongs and
fighting TO the death. Two OF them
were cinnamon mates and the third
was huge silvertip.
The latter was defending himself In
true puglistic style (the other two be-
ing the aggressors) and whenever one
of them approached the halfbreed,
with swipe Of his paw he would send
his assailant sprawling head over heels.
The cinnamons didn't seem to work
together, but came up singly, only to be
Knocked out by their more powerful
antagonist. Pretty soon be had things
all his own way, and with a mighty
blow laid the largest of the pair sprawl
ing, bleeding, aud stunned on the
ground. Having Knocked the male
fat, he proceeded to hug the female,
and simply squeezed the life out OF her;
for could fairly hear the bones snap
and crack from where lay hid. The
male by this time had recovered few OF
his senses and sat upon his launches TO
see how the day was going, but the wise
old silvertip dropped the female for
few minutes, and walking over TO
where the dazed brute was squatted,
brought him such q whack beside the
head with his big paw that the poor
fellow never did get over 1t, but simply
rolled over on the ground and died
without another protest.
l was very much interested In the
outcome and remained an anxious
spectator of events to see what the
victor would do, now that both enc
mics were slain. Smelling OF each and
rolling them over to see If thoroughly
dead. he went TO work In a business
like manner to cache the bodies. BE-
coming satisfied that life was exstlnct,
he seized the female by the back OF the
neck and dragged her on to a point
about forty yards distant, when ne
halted, dropped his burden, and began
to paw at the ground.
He worked away until large hole
had been scooped out, when he rolled
the body into it, covered the same with
tvigs. leaves, brush, and dirt, and
then went back for the other carcass,
Giving il an affectionate squeeze or two
he dragged it twenty-five or thirty
wards in the opposite direction, and
did exactly in this case as he had done
in the former. The willy old canni6al
was simply laying in store Of winter
provisions. Having covered the Sec
ond body to his satisfaction he looked
around, raised his snout In the air.
shifted the breeze three or four illness
fortunately I was to the windward)
and gave uttersnce to the most mourn
full howl, grunt, or growl l ever heard
in all my life.
Concluding 1t was time for me to In
terfere raised my gun, took careful aim
a. the fcre-shoulder, and fired. The