Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-01-13


RAN FOR DEAR LIFE
The hoarse. grunting roar of the
eager brute had changed to a blood
curdling growl. and ! fancied that |
could almost feel her hot breath on my
back, when n sudden remem brance of
some old-time story struck me. Quick
as lightning flash / drew my belt
knife and with one stroke severed the
light strap of the oil-skin satehel con-
tanning the remains of my lunch.
The bag fell to the ground, and. sure
enough, the bear stopped short and
tore it into shreds.
Then, totally ignoring the bread and
meat. she came on again with re-
doubled rage. But the precious three
seconds had been lost and gained, and
she was yet four lengths behind Inc
when / reached the tree and scrambled
up to the first branch, about twenty
feet from the ground-though barely in
time to save myself, for the long bodied
beast reared straight beside the trunk
and came wi thin hairs breadth of
catching my foot as / assembled.
Most fortunately for me, adult
grizzlies do not climb, nor could even
a common black bear have gone
up that sapling, the stem of which was
only nine inches in diameter. Though
safe for the present / was by no means
in a comfortable position. none of the
branches being large enough to sus-
tain my whole weight. Consequently,
in order to support myself, / was
obliged to cling with one arm to it's
body, and very firmly, too, as the
baffled monster rose several times on
her hind feet, shook the tree violently
and tore off great strips of bark with
her powerful claws.
What if she should take notion to
dig it up by the roots? She could have
done so in fifteen minutes. Oh, how Bit
terly now regretted not taking Jim's
advice to bring my revolver alongl
After awhile my jailer got tired of
trying to dislodge me, but instead of
going off she uttered a loud, peculiar
cry, and the next moment the two cubs
came shuffling along and joined her.
Then, while her babies refreshed
themselves, the grim mother sat COM
posedly down at the foot of the tree,
evidently preparing for regular block
ade
If | should live. thousand years I
could never forget that awful night.
After dark the temperature fell to
the freezing point, and l kept from
perishing only by repeatedly climbing
higher up the tree and then sliding
down to my old position.
Even SO could hardly keep my blood
circulating, and ! was SO worn out by
fat.Tue and SO deadly sleepy that
was in momentary danger of dropping
into the hungry jaws below.
had hoped that the cold would in
duce the bear to retire to the cave with
her cubs, in which case | might take
short run and gain a larger tree, but
the cunning beast seemed quite con-
tented with her present quarters, and
long after had ceased TO distinguish
her brownish-gray form on the SINH
larly colored ground / could hear her
moving about and coddling her young
ones.
At this time, the moon was two or
three days beyond the full. and it must
have been past midnight when it rose
high enough to clear the mountain-tops
up luCu
the bear and / could again see each
other plainly, fact of which she took
advantage to give my roosting-place
another series of vigorous shakes.
If the angry beast had known enough
to keep this up for five minutes at any
one time, / must have lost my hold;
but luckily, she didn't, and | always
renewed my grip during her quiet
spells.
What was to be the end of it all?
The dumb brute could maintain her
fast until / should drop from exhaus-
tion, and, il she kept watch long
enough, that result was certain. In
this dcsolate place no outside help
could be expected, and, barring n CON-
mon butchers knife, was entirely un-
armed.
"But, surely" l reasoned ''the old
aend will go off first thing in the morn
ing to look for food, and I can then
either make good my retreat or kindle
fire which will keep her at bay and,
perhaps, by its smoke. attract some
wandering prospector."
These reflections, though quite con-
soling to me, didn't exactly harmonic
with Mrs. Bruins views. The rising
sun found her still on duty and appar-
emily determined to have me for break
fast or go without.
Hour after hour passed away, and, as
the day grew hot, | began To suffer so
fearfully from thirst and the strained
horror of my situation that l at last
deliberately made up my mind to de-
sccnd and meet death in fair fight No
use in delaying; twas but prolonging
my agony. And yet to So die was aw-
full. / would hold out till nature
could endure no more. No voluntary
act of mine should precipitate my
doom.
tonwood or, indeed, any kind of u de-
ciduous tree, ! might have obtained
some relief by chewing the leaves, but
there was no nourishment in the bitter
hemlocl1 spray. It seemed only TO in
crease my thirst, and felt that the end
was near.
Once more. with a kind OF horrible
fascination, i gazed down at my inn
placablc foe, idly wondering whether
she would kill me by single blow of
her great paw or rend me piecemeal to
fragments.
But suddenly she stopped in her rest
less walk, shifted the air for a moment
with uplifted head and then, driving
the cubs before her, ambled off toward
her den.
What could this mean? A question
quickly answered, for. intently listen
ing, / next instant heard the low, re-
pressed whimper OF hounds, and as,
with returning strength, uttered u
loud yell of joy, Zip and Keene, burst
ing into full cry and straining on their
leashes, came round the corner of that
same rock whence the bear had first
emerged!
The dogs we're closely followed by
Jim Hayes, upon whose heels came
three stalwart companions, and they
met the grizzly face to face before she
had gained the cave.
At this blessed sight the warm
blood once again rushed through my
benumbcd limbs, and with frantic
haste | slid to the ground. All was
over, however, before | could reach the
scene.
On seeing her assailants the bear
had charged instantly, but Jim jcrked