Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-12-14
DEATH THREE WAYS.
THE THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF A
PROSPECTOR.

II had some pretty close calls In tho Old
days fighting Indians and bears single
handed, says Colonel Burrows Of Mon
tana, but once | was COrncred by griZ-
Fly, ccntipCd and Crow Indian, and get
Ting out of that corner L had the closest
shave of my life, | guess. I was prospect
ing along the foot of the Rockies one sum
mCr
lone morning l started to follow up q
small ravine that had discovered the day
before, along the banks of which were some
very scant outcroppings of silver l got
so interested in examining specimens of
rock that l pushed on, quito forectful of
time and distance until feeling of empti-
hess warned me that it was noon.
1T was n hot day, and when l had fin
ished my dinner l was sleepy. I lay down
in the shade Of tree to take a short nap,
knowing that l would wake up in less
than an hour, which would give me plenty
of time to get back to camp before dark.
l took off my coat and put it under my
head, rolled up the sleeves Of my flannel
shirt and made myself as comfortable as
possible. l had been asleep possibly Is
minutes when peculiar tickling sCnsa-
ton ON my right arm caused me to wake
suddenly. Fortunately for mo l did not
spring up with start.
"UpcninG my eyes, l looked first at my
arm whore | had felt the tickling. As I
did so my heart stopped beating for min.
ute, it seemed to me, and ] felt u cold
sweat starting out of every pore. Half
way up my arm was a full grown cent?
ped crawling rround ON the bare flesh.
Il could see the venomOus insect with
out even turning my cycbnlls, and | lay
perfectly still. How l did it l don't know.
1t seemed to me that there was a ton of
weight on my chest holding me down,
and although it was Il scorching hot day
was soon as cold as if l Mad been lying in
an icebox. The centipcd would crawl to
where my shirt sleeve was rolled up then
crawl all around the arm, back to the
wrist and then back again. He must havo
made the circuit 20 times, and the strain
on my nerves was telling on me fast.
suddenly new danger appeared be-
fore my staring eyes. heard a rustling of
leaves, and Il moment later a huge brown
bear, gnunt and hungry looking, walked
out of tho bushes and came straight to-
ward me-
Then gave myself up for good, and
half closing my eyes l tried to think of a
prayer to say. The bear walked straight
up to me, and beginning at my feet began
to smell and push me with his nose. The
ccntiped saw the bear coming and crawl
ed around on the under side of my arm
and stopped Every instant expected to
feel the sharp sting of the insect and L
was trying to nerve myself up to let the
bear finish me in short order rather than
suffer the torture of the slower death.
But the bear looked me over, pushed
my arms and legs about and licked my
face. Still the oentiped did not move.
The bear stood there for several minutes,
it seemed to me, but at last appeared to
make up it's mind that l was dead, and he
would leave me to the coyotes. Then he
turned and numbered of in the same di-
rection from which he had come.
But the deadly centiped was still on
my arm, and by this time l was so weak
as to be in danger of rolling over in utter
collapse. Then asudden warning of a new
danger gave my nerves another shock.
THE bear had gone less than so feet
away when heard the sharp crack Of q
rifle on the other side of me, heard the
hiss of bullet rs it flew over me and saw
a bunch of fur fly from the side of the
bear. The animal had been hit just back
of the left shoulder, but the bullet did not
even knock him down. With a growl Of
rage, the big shaggy monster turned and
came toward me with rush.
~ was certain that the shot had been
fired by an Indian, and if there was any
faint hope of escape lingering in my breast
before it rapidly vanished. The centiped
had been startled by the shot and was now
running down my bare arm.
II quickly made up my mind that if
my time had come l had rather be shot by
an Indian or torn to piece, by the bear than
to be stung to death by the Centipcd.
With a bound I sprang to my feet, and
to my intense relief the ccntiped dropped
from my arm to the ground without sting
ing me But forgot to grab my gun as
l rose, and when got to my feet the bear
was so close l did not have time to stoop
and get it. In fact it was only by a quick
leap to one side that l escaped the clutch
of the grizzly as he rose to his hind feet
and made a lunge at me with paws out
stretched and mouth wide open.
las l leaped aside and faced about l
caught sight of n murderous looking Crow
Indian, who stood, rifle in hand, not less
than 80 yards away The Indian was evil
IDENTIFY not aware Of my presence until
jumped up from the ground, and had his
rifle raised for a second shot at the bear.
He was SO startled by my sudden appear
ance that he lowered his rifle, and instead
of taking a shot at me ran away as fast as
he could go.
But was not yet out of danger by
any means. The pain of his wound made
the bear frantic Growing furiously he
turned and made another rush at me. He
was now between me and my rifle, and
my only weapon was n long hunting
knife, which carried in my blet. Glanc-
ing back over my shoulder for a second,
discovered another and serious danger.
was within 90 feet Of the bank of the
ravinc, which was directly behind me- a
stumble or slip Of the foot would carry
me over the brink, which meant fall Of
100 feet, to strike on the rocks below.
LAS lodged about to avoid the savage
rushos Of the animal kept getting nearer
the brink of tie ravine. Finally | stood
on the very edge of it, with the bear facing
me 20 feet away Again he rose on his
hind feet and came to me, with IA vicious
growl. l stood until l could almost feel
his hot breath in my face. Then, duck
ing to avoid his outstretched fore legs,
sprang quickly to one side.
my plan of escape was "a success. The
momentum of the big brute was such
L.. 4 80. l..