The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-16
A Cinnamon Bear That Didn't Know
When He Was Badly
Done UP.
At Least He Kept on as II He
Was In Ignorance OF
the Fact
There Was Lots Of Energy In That Bear
Ansr the Top Of isis Head Was
blown on.

Colonel Jim Struthers, otherwise Montana
Jim, 20 The Star man at the National.
The reporter saw Il. Colonel Jim was Ia
a reverie In musing sort Of way he
was stroklng that fur backward aud fer
ward with his foot and seemed once more
10 be living In the home Of the setting sun.
There was something No impressive In
Jims manner when he said "You see that
bear hidef" that the reporter sicklied his
face with the pale cast Of thought, touch
ed the skin with awe and arranged his
feelings 10 that they would be In full sym
pathy with those OF the colonel.
Then Jim sni1 "Well sir, the spirit.
the grit, the courage and the get thereness
that once upon time animated that bear
robe came within an ace Of widowing my
wife, orphnning my kids and making
brother less host Of my promissory sis
tors. Yes, sir, that is the fur Of "A CHINA
mon bear. That bear was a whole menag-
eric IN one act. As a rule, cinnamon bear
ain G much good except for circus purposes
and steaks; but, as the poet says, there are
exceptions 20 all rules, and that bear was
the most exceptional exception that ever
got unmuzzled. lie was an all around
athlete. lie could run like a streak OF
Blue Line lightning when the plug puller
hits her hard and makes his machine chew
cinders, his blow was very much more
deadly than any Brazilian warlet, he could
swim like Lcander when Hero was on the
other side of the creek, and that bear could
use up more cartridges with less wear and
tear 20 his constitution than any pensioner
on the rolls.
''When he got into a controversy. be
didn't know how TO quit any more than
the usual after dinner Cicero. His voice
wasn't tuned 90 cry enough. got into
dispute once with that bear, and il re-
quired the heaviest Springfield arguments
could Gre of TO make him admit the SUI
periority Of him who was alleged to have
dominion over the beasts Of the field. I'll
tell you how it was. Last summer l was
fishing on kootcnay lake, in British Co
lumbia. got tired of this.
THE fishing was all right, but there
was nobody around TO listen TO the stories.
| had brother at Cnur d'Alene military
reservation in Idaho, and / pulled mp
stakes with the intention of visiting him.
| followed the Kootenay river in a south
erly direction till | crossed over into the
land Of the free. ! halted at the town of
| Hope, on Lake Pena d'Oreille, ferried
Clarle's fork and struck into Cour
d'Alene mountains 1t was about noon
tide, aud it was one of those soft, still
days that occur more frequently in the
| pages of novel than the pages Of the
weather map The trail led through jun
| gle Of BURBERRY bushes and ragged quar-
ries Of gray, lichen covered powders. Tall
| pine timber grew at intervals. About the
| only sound of the world that threw up
any sound waves was the grinding and
twisting clatter Of my pony's hOofs. ]
reached the brink Of "A mountain stream
/ that had been swollen into torrent by
| late rains, and / thought it best TO camp
until some dove should announce that the
raging waters would be calm than to at
tempt 20 swim it and get jammed by dead
trees and branches that were whirling
along.
81 was preparing lunch when the pony
began 10 act curiously lie paved the
! ground, raised his head in a frightened
manner, snorted and did other things
which horses usually do when they know
that breakers are ahead. l followed the
line Of the pony's gaze, but couldn't see
| anything but blueherry bushes. i noticed
one sway and felt that an Indian was
| lurking there. brought the hammer Of
my gun up and formed in line of battle,
but the bush continued 90 sway, and /
could see nothing. At last felt sure that
| / could see part Of brown object, and
a bear that / had shot. lie was eating
the berries from that bush, and had in
terrupted his meal.
"Bruin wheeled round, came out into
the trail on the other side of the torrent
and surveyed me. Bang hit him again,
but IL wasn't my day to shoot, and the
| pellet lodged forward of the shoulder, In
stead Of ingratiating itself in the seat Of
| his affections That shot was enough for
him He snapped at the wound and spoke
| a sonorous grOwl Then, locating me as
the cause of the effect. be proceeded to re
| move the cause. Onward he came, down
the steep decline 20 the waters edge. The
| Springfield erupted and made one more
hole I'm the bear lie was mad. He plung-
ed into the stream. and keeping his small,
wicked looking eyes bent on me swan
with whole souled desire to get there.
Ills head was the only thing In sight, aud
this was ms turget. ] shot at IL, struck
him between the eyes and lifted the top Of
his head of, so that the water which he
was splashing with his paws washed into
the skull and mingled with the blood and
brains.
"But he didn & halt. He landed on my
side Of the creek and waltzed along the
trail lie was hideous object, with the
roof OF his head gone and strings Of brain
dangling around his face. Another shot
took effect in the body. He was within 10
feet Of me. lie raised on his trailers and
came at me One more shot. | felt his
hot, painting breath. My gun was knock
ed from rue. was in the embrace Of the
bear. His hug was terrific, and felt my
skeleton giving way.
"My whole life passed in review. II ]
had known prayer, | would have prayed
IL. but my memory is bad on such mat
tiers. and did not have my manuscript.
| tried 10 get out my knife, but felt that
/ was falling. ! lost consciousness. When
returned from catnlepsy, the bear was
dead beside me. lie had expired from his
wounds just as be was about 60 finish me.
lie had taken two balls in the heart, his
brain had been almost blown out Of his
skull pan. and yet he disarmed me and al
most killed me before he died. Yes, sir,
that bear hide YOU see there Is his skin. -