The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1894-11-28
A GOOD BEAR STORY 7.
4 TRANSFERS QUEER ADVENTURE
IN INDIAN TERRITORY.

Knocked Over by a Silver Tip Dam and
Buried In the snow-When She Came
Back For n Feast, the Larder Was Empty,
and the Situation was Reversed.
Early in the fall of 1880 our regiment
was ordered into the field against hos
tile Indians, and. about the beginning of
October we were eneamped on Poplar
creek, a tributary employing into the
Missouri from the north, about 60 miles
distant from Fort BHford.
Our instructions required us to re-
main hero until further orders should be
received, and during these few days that
we lay idle in camp the men amused
themselves in various ways, but prinei-
pally by organizing short hunting expe-
ditions into tho surrounding country.
Our chief of teamsters was Henry
Morgan, good all round shot and one
who had more than once brought down
big game by his skill. Lie started off
alone one morning just as mild bli2-
zard began to fly and openly declared
that when he returned he would bring
an antelope or q deer back with him,
and perhaps both.
We saw him disappear in the direo-
ton of Mill creek with his rife over
his shoulder, but tho narrative of his
| subsequent movements is best told by
! himself;
81 had gone perhaps three miles up
the creek, and had as yet seen no signs
of any wild animal, when all at once
from behind a cottonwood log near a
| thick bunch of underbrush long cared
cottontail rabbit leaped nimbly into
sight, and the next moment my shot
laid him low.
81 hurried over to the spot and was
leaning over to examine the animal
when / felt @ crash as il the whole can
yon had exploded, and as | +umbled
over i'll the snow my fast departing
senses recognized u hugo silver tip bear,
whose powerful paw had been the au-
thor of my mischief.
~ lay there half stunned and badly
bruised, 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 90 feet; then she
pushed me down into a 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 Gov
cred mo | 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 sho was moving
off.
"When l considered she was fa
enough away, / scrambled out of Oh,
hole, shook myself clear Of the trasl
and then looked around for my gun,
1T was lying safe and little damaged
near tho log where killed tho cotton
tail but was somewhat scratched nnC
choked with snow
81 first cleaned the piece out, place.
| it in good order and then went back tC
my involuntary grave, where / found
| tho tracks made by bruin to be quioi
distinct and widely separated, showing
that tie beast had gone off down stream
somowhct i'll hurry. | suspected tho
old monster would BIO back sooner OF
later; so, rearranging the cavity and re-
storing the brush and trash as naturally
| as possible, | retired to a safe position
behind tho cottonwood log, which had
| been the scene Of my first disaster, aud
sat down to wait
Perhaps three quartersof an hour had
passed when far down tho open | saw
tho old mother with her cubs trottiug
merrily at her heels, making all haste
up stream toward my place of conceal
mont kept as still as death and scarce
ly breathed, but got my rifle into posi-
ton and nervously waited until the trio
should come within easy range.
"On she came, rolling from side to
side, and thon / saw that her object
was tho holo in which / had been so UNI
tremendously buried
''She hurried to the spot, growled
something Hb buo CuDS, uHcll III tHfSe,
cubs and dam, began paving and scratch
ing the brush and trash aside and send
ing it i'll perfect shower behind them.
Finally the hole was scooped out clean,
and then tho old one, evidently compro-
hending that the promised dinner had
escaped, lay back her head and howled
her woes to heaven.
"This was my first opportunity, and l
fired with careful aim, the lead striking
her in the lower part of the neck and
causing her to pitch heavily forward.
BY tho time l had placed a bullet in tho
fore shoulder Of the largest cub the
dam, with mighty howl, regained her
feet and sayagely began to lick tho
wound Of her bleeding offspring. ! was
perfectly cool now, and realizing that
it was 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 was ready
for it, but the large one, who had already
been wounded, l finished with another
shot. philadelphia Times.
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