The Yellowstone journal., 1894-12-17
A GOOD BEAR STORY.
A TRANSFERS QUEER ADVENTURE
IN INDIAN TERRITORY.

Early IN the fall OF 1880 our regiment
was ordered into the field against hos
tile Indians, and about the beginning Of
October we We're encamped on Popli'r
creek, a tributary emptying into tie
Missouri from the north. about so miles
distant from Fort Buford.
Our instructions required us to re-
main here until further orders should lie
received. and during these few days til, :
we lay idle in camp the men amused
themselves in various ways, but princi
pally by organizing short hunting expo
ditions into the surrounding country.
Our chief of teamsters was Henry
Morgan, a good all round shot and or.
who had more than once brought down
big game by his skill He started OF
alone one morning Just as a mild biz
zard began 90 fly and openly declared
that when he returned he would bring
an antelope or a deer back with him.
and perhaps both.
We saw him disappear in the direc-
tion of Mill creek with his rife over
his shoulder, but the narrative of hi,
subsequent movements is best told by
himself:
II had gone perhaps three miles NJ
the creek. and had as yet seen no signs
of any wild animal, when all at ono.
from behind a cottonwood log near {.
thick bunch of undeTbrush a long cared
cottontail rabbit leaped nimbly into
sight, and the next moment my shot
laid higi low.
Il hurried over 10 the spot and was
-
when felt crash As if the whole can
yon had exploded, and as / tumbled
over in the snow my fast departing
senses recognized huge silver tip bear,
whose Sowerful paw had been the au
thor OF my mischief
Il lay there half stunned and badly
bruisdd. with just enough conscious
ness left to observe what was going on
around me.
1.-The old bear nosed and rolled me
about. and finally succeeded in pushing
and dragging me about 20 feet; then she
pushed me down into q washout of the
creek bottom and paved away until she
had me almost covered with snow,
brush and other trash. had now re-
covered my senses, but as ! could easily
breathe through the loose pile that COW
cred me ] thought il safest to lie still
and await the outcome.
Completing my funeral arrange
ments, the bear walked about and shifted
. few times suspiciously at the spot;
then by the sound of her satisfied snarls
and growis growing fainter and less
distinct | knew that she was moving
of.
when l considered she was far
enough away. scrambled out of the
hole, shook myself clear Of the trash
and then looked around for my gun.
1T was lying safe and little damaged
near the log where l killed the cotton
tail, but was somewhat scratched and
choked with snow
Il first cleaned the piece out. placed
il in good order and then went back to
my involuntary grave, where l found
the tracks made by bruin to be quiet
distinct and widely separated, showing
that the beast had gone of down stream
somewhat in hurry. | suspected the
old monster would be back sooner or
later; so, rearranging the cavity and re-
storing the brush and trash as naturally
as possible, | retired to a safe position
behind the cottonwood log, which had
been the scene of my first disaster, and
sat down to wait.
Perhaps three-quarters Of an hour had
passed when far down the open saw
the old mother with her cubs trotting
merrily at her heels, making all haste
up stream toward my place of conceal
ment. kept as still as death and scarce
ly breathed, but got my rife into posi-
tion and nervously waited until the trio
should come within easy range
ON she came rolling from side to
side. and then | saw that her object
was the hole in which had been so uD.
tremendously buried.
She hurried to the spot, growled
something at the cubs; then all three,
cubs and dam. began paving and scratch
ing the brush and trash aside and send
ing it IN q perfect Shower behind them
Finally the hole was scooped ont clean,
and then the old one. evidently oompre-
bending that the promised dinner had
escaped, lay back her head and howled
her wo > heaven.
This was my first opportunity, and
fred with careful aim, tn" lead striking
her in the lower part of the neck and
causing her to pitch heavily forward.
By the time had placed bullet in the
fore shoulder of the largest cub the
dam. with a mighty howl, regained her
feet and sayagely began to lick the
wound of her bleeding offspring. l was
perfectly cool now, and realizing that
il was a matter of life or death with
me took another aim while the old
one was poised on her hind legs mop
ping her own wound and sent a bullet
through her heart The younger cub
got away in the brush before l was ready
for it. but the large one, who had already
been wouaded. | finished with another
shot philadelphia Times
A Bicycle Groom.
Ladies' ON horseback should always be
2~l - -. -