The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1894-10-30

III never give up This hunt till I've
seen him lying dead"
Now, one by one, while the others
stoed guard, we knelt by the spring
and quenched our thirst. Then we
resumed our careful advance, for
here and there, where the path was
dusty, we could still see tracks of the
bear.
So, with never relaxing vigilance
on Sans part, we went on until the
ravine led out to the edge of a broad,
matted and seemingly impenetrabie
wilderness of densely growing vines,
bushes and thorns. Here all traces
Of our quarry were lost Look as we
might, we could see no spot where a
beast SO huge could possibly have en-
tered.
''This must be Deadman's grove, )"
said Tount, speaking aloud now. "In
the summer of '49 I and two
chums, returning from California,
went into it from the west side
there's three openings there-and
only one of us ever came out. An
old she grizzly killed my comrades
after they'd both shot her behind the
shoulder, before I'd come up. But, y
he grimly added, ''she got my bullet
through her brain in less than q min
ute afterward. 1t was mighty dear
hunt to me, for besides the loss of
my partners l found, after burying
them under heap of stones, that a
big Brazilian diamond which I'd put
most all my wealth into was miss
ing"
'But, Sam" ] asked, "what in the
worlds become of our bear3"
Hes sneaked round through the
rocks to the north and gone in on
t'other side. Well have to do the
same, for a cat couldn't get In here.
It's not more'n ? 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 old
gigantic footprints.
Turning to the left on reaching the
northwest corner of the grove, we
found close at hand well defined
opening.
''No use bothering with that, "
carelessly said Tount, ''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 ears open, do it
now That trails the one where my
poor chums passed in their checks"
LET me go in alone, Sam. I don't
care a cent for the grizzly. His
heads big mark. Down in old Ohio
I've often barked red squirrel in
the top of tall hickory, and / couldn't 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
poXious reptiles and beasts. But it
was possible for two men to walk
abreast on the path, and distrusting
Charles prudence, / took my place
by Tounts 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 our cautious footsteps, nor
was there q breath of wind to bear
the scent of our bodies to any lurk,
ing 0Irvatrura
We had 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 flat rock OF
nearly Identical color a yellowish
gray mass of fur.
Putting his mouth close to my ear,
Sam whispered: Its the big grizzly |!
He's fast asleep. That's his back we
see. His heads completely hidden.
We must get sight of it somehow. :"
While the old hunter stood consid-
ering hardly dared to breathe, and
1 could feel Grant close behind me
trembling with excitement.
Sans indecision lasted only mo-
ment, however. Then he stopped,
picked up a small stone and deliber-
ately pitched it on top of the sleep
ing monster, not 30 feet from us.
Yawning and stretching himself, as
if disturbed by a fly, the brute slowly
rose, his tremendous bulk looming
nm ahova tho S11,.ro,,Ddipo h11chaS