Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-08-15
TWO HEN AND TWO BEARS.
An Exciting Situation Which Game Out al
Right 2or The Men.


Right aor Che Men.
Friends said McMmchy, lit is not
generally known that | nave had some
adventures with bears and can boast Of
2 closer acquaintance with Ursus Amer
icana, also Ursus hOrroD,lis, than most
of men IN my wall. and at my time of
life.
Yes" continued McMurchy, that
was q great camp hunt. There were
four OF us went into the Medicine Bow
mountains one fall, fitted out for a
months stay, or until the snow got so
bad as Ito drive us out. We'd had q
pretty good run Of luck, for inside OF
a week we hung up four fine elk and
could have killed more, only it was
not necessary. Your true sportsman
kills only for his needs. During our
tramp for elk we found considerable
signs OF bear, and once | saw big chap
clear across canyon a quarter OF
mile away. This made me think I'd
like to add a cinnamon or a silver tip
to my score. One afternoon, being
higher up in the mountains than at any
time previously. I discovered signs OF
sheep This drove all idea of bears and
Elk ont of my head, SO the next morn
ing, fitting out for a two days tramp,
the guide and myself started for sheep.
l wound a light, strong lariat around
my waist, a very handy tool in the
mountains sometimes, and certainly II
ives so on THIS occasion.
Along in the afternoon we found
signs of sheep and followed up until
we came to a place where we had to go
higher-climb and pull ourselves up.
II was a mighty rough piece OF ground.
Immense powders, the size of a church,
lay around thick; then there were ra-
vines and smaller depressions that we
had to go down and climb up. Pretty
we'll winded. we arrived at the top Of
one Of the great ridges. The guide
was ahead, and l had just asked him III
he could see anything in the canyon
below. when he returned with warning
look and sank to the ground behind a
big rock. He si9ned % me to look, and
there. perhaps 800 yards away, standing
on fiat rock / counted four sheep.
"Well. the guide looked at those sheep
earnestly for about a minute, and then
said I'd better try my chances and
shoot I raised the sights for $50 yards
and. holding fine on the base OF the
throat of the animal nearest the edge OF
the rock, pressed the trigger. Three
sheep turned and fed out of sight in arr
instant. but one lay kicking and dying
on the rock. and he continued to kick
until he kicked himself clear over and
pitched down $50 feet or more.
"Well, as 1t seemed easier to get down
in that rOck-ribbed valley at that point
where the sheep had been, we made our
way around there with no little diff
Guilty, and. looking over. saw the game
lying there quite still. The guide eX-
amined the situation, and saw that if
the lariat rope was long enough II would
reach a sort of offset composed of rock
and some loose soil, on which there
was a stunted fir tree. and from that
point he could reach the sheep, dress 1t
and I could haul it up.
THAT part Of the tournament worked
beautifully as far as it went. ! hitched
the rope to a small tree that stood con-
veniently near. and the guide went
down. hand over hand, like an expert
fire escape man, and soon was at work
dressing the sheep. lie had the job
about half finished. when he very sud
denly stopped looked up and said:
How am l going to get back up
there"
"T didn't figure on that said l.
You're the guide. There was a set look
on his face and he went on carvi1g tho
sheep. | had been lying fiat, looking
set me TO thinking, l arose to take
look around for ways and means.
We'll, gentlemen, l hadn't walked
twenty steps from the edge of the elm
when l stOppsd-stopped mighty sudden
for there. not fifty yards away, was
the biggest kind OF a grizzly bear eye
ing me with a cold, cynical stare. To
advance was death. 20 retreat suddenly
over that eff was death. / had 10 act.
for the bear was advancing for closer
acouaintance. Well a man has TO
think quick sometimes. and that was
one of those times Ny thought was to
shoot. Steadying myself. held for be
tween his eyes. low down. and al the
crack Of my .5O-110-S0O he went down
neaa on. p!owing along the ground.
had time only TO jump couple more OF
those express balls into him. when he
started toward me at a Lively gait bur
sort Of groggy. fired three more shots,
then dropped my rife, and rushing to
that lariat began to slide down. When !
had reached half way heard a yell IN
der me. and at the same time a tug on
the rope from above, which lifted me
two or three feet. Looking up | saw