Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-12-12
BURIED IN THE SNOW.
A TRANSFERS ADVENTURE IN
INDIAN TERRITORY.
Knocked Down for Food and Then
Carefully Stored Away While the Old
She Bear Went to Call Her Cubs
She Stayed Away too Long.

Early in the fall of 1880 our regi-
nent was ordered into the field
tgainst hostile Indians, and about the
beginning of October we were en-
;amped on Poplar creek, a tributary
Implying into the Missouri from the
forth, about sixty miles distant from
FORT Buford.
Our chief of transfers was Henry
Morgan, says the Philadelphia Times,
good all-round shot and one who
lad more than once brought down big
game by his skill. He started off
alone one morning just as mild biz
gard began to fly and openly declared
that when he returned he would bring
an antelope or deer back with him
and perhaps both.
81 had gone perhaps three miles up
the creek" said he afterward, "and
Dad as yet seen no sign of any wild
animal, when all at once from behind
cottonwood log near a thick bunch
Of underbrush long-eared cotton tail
rabbit leaped nimbly into sight, and
:he next moment my shot laid him
low.
81 hurried over to the spot and was
Gaming over to examine the animal.
when felt crash as if the whole
canyon had exploded, and as l tum-
bled over in the snow my fast depart
ing senses recognized hugh silver
tip bear whose powerful paw had been
the author of my mischief.
1.-The old bear nosed and rolled me
about twenty feet, then she pushed me
Town into a washout OF the creek bot
tom and paved away until she had
ne covered with snow, brush and
other trash. had now recovered my
senses, but as | could easily breathe
through the loose pile that covered
me l thought it 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 growls growing
fainter and less distinct l knew that
she was moving off.
when l considered that she was
far enough away | scrambled out of
the hole, shook myself clear of the
trash and then looked around for nv
gun.
at was lying safe and little damaged
near the log where | had killed the
cottOntail, but was somewhat scratch
cd and chOked with snow.
ii first cleaned the piece out,
placed it in good order and then went
back to my involuntary grave, where
| found the track made by Bruin to be
quite distinct and widely separated,
showing that the beast had gone off
down stream somewhat in a hurry.
suspected the old monster would be
back sooner or later, so rearranging
the cavity and restoring 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-quarter3 of an hour
had passed when far down over the
open | saw the old mother with her
cubs trottlng merrily at her heels,
making all haste up stream toward
my place of concealment. | kept as
still as death and scarcely breathed,
but got my rife into position and
nervously waited until the trio should
come within easy range
''On she came, rolling from side to
side, and then l saw that her object
was the hole in which l had been so
unceremoniously buried.
''She hurried to the spot, growled
something at the cubs, then all three,
cubs and dam, began paving and
scratching the brush and trash aside.
and sending it in perfect shower be-
hind them. Finally the hole was
scooped out clean, and then the old
one, evidently compromising that
the promised dinner had escaped. Law
back her head and howled her woes to
heaven.
This was my opportunity and
fired with careful aim, the lead strik-
ing her in the lower part of the neck
and causing her to pitch heavily for
ward. By the time had placed bull
let in the foreshoulder of the LARGEST
cub, the dam, with mighty howl.
regained her feet, and savagely began
to lick the wound of her bleeding Off
spring. | was perfectly cool now, and.
realizing that it was a matter of life
or death with me, took another care
full aim while the old one was poised
on her hind legs hopping her own
wound and sent a bullet through her
heart.
1.-The younger cub got away in the
brush before was ready for it, but
the larger one, who had already been
wounded, finished with another shot.
when | got back to camp | told
the story of my adventure, and a par
ty was sent out to bring in the game.
"a neighbOring ranchman hap
pened to be visiting the camp at the
time the carcasses arrived, and he
recognized the old she bear at once,
declaring that every year, before go
ing into winter quarters, that same old
marauding monster had been in the
habit of paying frequent visits to his
sheep and hog corral. He was so do.
lighted that his destructive enemy had
at last been killed that he offered to
buy the skins, whereupon presented
him with both, but afterwards learned
that the scaly fellow had an eve TO
business. for he first caused the ears
to be punched by the territorial
auditor, receiving the authorized
bounty therefor, and then disposed of
the pair OF hides for Il high figure to
a tcndertoot tourist, who wanted to
exhibit the results of his prowcss to
friends back in the states"