The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-15

| us from our counting rooms, work shops
and fields. The hazardous crossing of
vast deserts and trackless mountains, the
tights with Indians, and above all the
adventures with the grizzly bear duvel-
oped the manhood found, strange to say,
| IN the combative instincts of our nature.
| | never meet with Il Californian now but
l am impressed with the presence of a
stronger and larger man than the ordi-
! nary American.
An encounter with a grizzly bear is
| fraught with peril. The creature
strength, courage and strange vitality
| make the deadly contest nearly even be-
| tween the armed man and the unarmed
beast. Heaven help the hunter whose
| unsteady aim leaves the bear uncrippled.
Before he can reload the enemy will BIZ
upon his works. When the CO test is
narrowed to that pass Daniel Boone's Gel
ebrated prayer, when the famous pioneer
found himself face to face with the COM
mon brown bear, would be a waste of
breath. The petition is we'll worth put
ting on record as specimen of western
humor, il not an incident in the life of
Boone. 80 Lord" piously cried the
tighter, in the brief pause given him pre-
vious to the deadly COMBAT between a
scalping knife and the claws, here's a.
goin' to be one of the biggest bar fights
help me. for Gods sake don't help the
bar
A friend OF mine, a bold hunter from
England, once told me OF a scrape he
found himself in while hunting the griz.
ely bear OF the Rocky mountains. He
came upon hi: prey quite unexpectedly,
ana man and beast starsd at each other in
some astonish N ent not fifty yards apart.
The bear exhibited no disposition of a
modest or retiring sort, and my friend
made haste to tender him a warm recep-
ton. He fired with more quick ness than
Id Al.
rifle tore away portion of bruins ear,
aud, grazing the skull, stunned the brute
for an instant. The hunter hastened to
reload, but before he could do SO the
bear had regained his legs, and although
somewhat groggy, came at his enemy.
My friend bad time only to drop his rife
and spring into tree. mp which he clam
bered with an activity worthy of his ear
lier youth: Grizzly, one of the largest,
made short work of the rifle. Then he
sat on his launches and gazed stupidity
at the man in the tree. AS the pain OF
his mutilated ear increased, he grew fur
ious. and Selling the pine in which his
enemy had taken refuge, be fairly shook
it in his rage. My friend had a revolver
in his belt, ana bringing this to bear he
favored bruin with six shots. lie mish
as well have popped his lead into an iron
clad. At every discharge the bear ex-
pressed his intense disgust and renewed
his assaults upon the tree.
seat upon the branches of tree is
not comfortable at any time; but with a
bear below on the watch il may be con-
sidered exceedingly unpleasant. Hours
wore slowly away, with the bear moving
about, at times IN full view and again
hidden by the underbrush. At last, about
sunset, he took himself off. and our hun
ter was about to descend, when he again
heard reports from his enemy. These
were fierce grOwls of rage that issued
from gorge near by. My friend at first
supposed the bear had encountered other
hunters, but as he heard no sounds OF
guns or other evidences of mortal CON-
bat, he resumed his seat and listened.
The mysterious uproar continued, and
what was strange appeared In the fact
that it came from the same spot. Un-
armed. and faint from hunger and fatigue,
my friend remained all night clinging to
his pecrh; and at intervals he heard the
bear growing and tearing furiously. The
comical idea seized on the hun ter that
bruin had stupidity mistaken some other
pine for the one that sheltered his enemy.
Tho night wore slowly away. The stars,
glittering as stars can glitter only in the
mountain regions, passed in their solemn
march, while the deep forests of ever
green's we're full Of strange noises, to
which the bear added through his eccen-
trio conduct. ny friend slept from time
to time. and invariably dreamed of fall
ing, to waken with a start and find him.
self Clinging to the branches of the pine.
When man sleeps IN Q tree this muscles
necessary to his safety do not relax as in
an ordinary sleep, but when through