Arizona republican., 1895-08-15
The Stirring Adventure
 of Two Campers.
A Midnight Attack in the Lonely
 Mountains.
How Putative Bear Raised Racket InCamp and a Mule Had Mar
 row Escape From Death.

When H. M. Willis and Louis Jordan returned from their trip to ths noun tains they studiously avoided mention ing anything about an adventure they had with bear, but in some manner the story has leaked out.
 One day Willis was out hunting for deer (sheep) and came across some bear tracks recently made. His appetite for venison at once vanished; he was going to have bears steak or nothing. With great difficulty he urged his horse along the trail made by the bear. He followed 1t until dark without locating his quarry, and, as hunting bears in the dark is not all agree able job to the most experienced woodsman the embryonic hunter con. cluded he didn't want bear steaks for supper and wisely returned to camp where he found Jordan nursing finger ne had just burned in trying to cook supper. "Say Louis," said Willis, CT have found the freshly made tracks of bear and he must be a whopper for his tracks are about as big as your ap- petite, I followed him all afternoon but he kept out of my way, but l guess we'll find him yet. Jordan's hand shook SO with excitement at this in. telligence that he upset the coffee pot and the hot fluid saturated his clothing causing the execution of polka and the utterance oI expressions rarely used except under great pressure and in solitude.
 After supper was disposed of the boys laid awake a long time making plans about catching that bear on the mor- row. At last Jordan dozed of and allt was silence save the music that emana. ted from his nasal brass band. Willis was not sleeping, the ooeratlc selections given by the brass band made such impossibl The cracking of twig a few yards from camp denoted the presence of nocturnal prowler. Willis raised up from his hard bed and peered into the darkness beyond. His mind was | full of the bear and when he dimly de- scrlbed huge form with eyes that shone like huge coals of fire he con. cluded that his bearship had cone to
 make friendly call. He reached over
 and struck Jordan but the only response
 he received was grunt and 8 momen- tary break in the operatic performance. | He struck him again and in voice choked with emotion yelled in his ear
 that the camp had been invaded by a
 menagerie of bears. That did the
 work, the music stopped and Jordan
 sat up in bed very suddenly saying,
 "W-w what is the m- matter?" "Where
 are your eyes, didn't you zee that out there." said Willis pointing to the object in the darkness. He saw, and and rapidly thought how pleasant it
 would be if he was back in Phgnix. "I'll shoot first," said Willis, land you | fire immediately after, and if we both miss we're goners sure.
 Willis pointed point blank at the ob. ject, and, closing his eyes with brief invocation, pulled the trigger. Jordan also moved his lips in prayer and barely had the first report sounded before he, too. pulled the trigger.
 The commotion was awful. The ob- ject with the blazing eyes went tearing through camp, and with yell of terror Jordan shouted out: "Run for your life we missed him !' and, suiting the action to the word, he ran, or rapidly flew, to nearby tree, and was very shortly safely ensconced on limb, out of harms way. Willis appeared lost in thought for while, then suddenly talk ing his rifle he followed in the direction taken by the bear. He returned after while and in surly voice told Jordan to come down out of the tree. Jordan did as requested and when he reached Willis said: Did we hit him ?"
 "No; we didn't"
 "What was it?" again inquired Jordan.
 "One of our blamed mules! !" And silently and sorrowfully the boys looked at each other and laid down again with