The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1894-06-23

ne gf1mly added, 'She got nv bul,f
through her brain in less than a mi,
ute afterward. 1t was a mighty dea
hunt to me, for besides the loss c
s my partners I found, after burvjn
: them under a heap of stones, that
big Brazilian diamond which I'd pu
most all my wealth into was miss
! ing"
But, SAM" I asked, what in tn
worlds become of our bear9n
He's sneaked round through tb
t rocks to the north and gone in O,
, t'other side. Well have to do tn,
{ same, for a cat couldn't get in here
It's not more'n a mile, ! reckon
Sam, as usual, proved to be right
for while we were skirting the north
ern boundary of the grove we sew
eral times came upon the same ole
gigantic footprints.
Turning to the left on reaching the
northwest corne of the grove. we
found close at hand a well defined
opening.
mo use bothering with that,
c%arelessly said Tount, 1.-The cunning
brute's sure to have gone into the
far one, close to the ridge. It's only
a couple of hundred yards away.
And, boys, if you ever kept your eyes
skinned and your a r open, do it
now. That trails the one where my
poor chums passed in their checks"
Let me go in alone, Sam. l don't
care a cent for the grizzly. His
heads a big mark. Down in old Ohio
I've often barked a red squirrel in
the top of tall hickory, and 1 couldn't
miss him." impulsively cried Charlie
Grant.
The guide glanced pityingly at the
boy, but merely said, You'll be old
er bimeby, Charlie" and relapsing
once more into dead silence we passed
the middle opening and entered the
mouth OF that one nearest the ridge.
Twas a horrible place, strangely
dark, noisome and oppressively hot,
while all about were strewn shapeless
masses Of rock, interlaced and half
hidden by creeping vines, giant cac-
fuses, and poison ivy-a fit abode for
noxious reptiles and beasts. But it
was possible for two men to walk
abreast on the path, and distressing
Charles prudence, I took my place
by Tount's side.
Amid an awful silence, we crept
slowly on, scanning each gloomy re-
cess and tangled brake with such care
as men whose lives were at stake
might well exercise. The ground be-
meath our feet, beaten into soft dust
by innumerable tracks, returned no
echo to u cautious footsteps, nor
was there a breath of wind to bear
the scent of u bodies to any lurk-
ing creature.
Wehad thus stolen along for nearly
a quarter of a mile, when my com
panion stopped, quietly nudged me
and stood intently gazing through a
sort of aisle in the matted vines at
something as yet unseen by me. But
presently, noting the direction of his
eyes, I saw lying on a fiat rock of
nearly identical color a yellowish
gray mass of fur.
Putting his mouth close to my ear,
Sam whispered: cts the big grizzly!
He's fast asleep. That's his back we
see. His heads completely hidden.
We must get a sight of it somehow"
While the old hunter stood consid-
ering l hardly dared to breathe, and
/ could feel Grant close behind me
trembling with excitement.
Sans indecision lasted only a mo-
ment, however. Then he stopped,
picked up a small stone and deliber-
ately pitched it on top of the sleep
ing monster, not 80 feet from us.
Yawning and stretching himself, as
If disturbed by a fly, the brute slowly
rose, his tremendous bulk looming
up above the surrounding bushes,
but his head was yet invisible. Very
evidently he had not seen us and Was
about to lie down again when Tount
gave a low whistle. The effect was
instantaneous. The bear stiffened
an attitude of watchful atten-
ton, and raising his huge head sus-
plciously shifted the air.
Twas the last breath he ever drew!
Coolly, as if shooting at a rabbit,
Sam threw up his rifle and touched
the trigger. The heavy, pointed slug
squarely at the base of the
bears ear, and without a sound he
sank shiveringly down, stone dead!
Then Charlie Grant went wild.
Whooping and yelling like a Co.
manche, he dashed through the
sprang upon the rock and
danced on the carcass of our
prize.
The pslt, at no time very valuable,
was not at this a worth remov-
lng; so, after eating some lunch
brought with us, we began to retrace
our steps, Charlie, no longer restrain
OF his freedom, prancing on ahead.
"Best be careful" cautioned
rount as the boy lodged behind
4 rock, chats not the only bear
n-heavens! What's that9" for,
overlapping the last word, came a
Smothered cry and the sound of a fall.
Darling round the rock, we found
our young comrade lying ~senseless
IN the ground and just beyond him
saw the r%etreating form of a half
yrOwn ~priZzlvi No oboDoa fo, n hood