Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-11-18

something into it besides powder and
paper wad, | was about to shove the
ramrod In and give him that, when 1t
occurred to me that a ramrod might
some in handy IL ever I wanted TO
load again. In the meantime | had
climbed up the rocks, which were big
and plenty here among the trees, and
was managing to keep myself fairly
safe AS | slipped into the last niche
of the rocks before had to take chanc-
es and run across the open to a clump
Of trees, my heavy watch chain caught
on something and almost tore itself
out of my buttonhole. 1t gave me a
thought, though, and IN second |
had 1t loose and was ramming 1t down
the gun barrel. A hundred dollars a
load was rather expensive, but 1t was
my life against the watch chain, and
there were other watch chains. 10
make the chances ia my favor some
what better | dropped my link but
tons and collar button into the other
barrel. They were not so heavy as
the chain, but the range was short
and was counting to do some yalu-
able work in my behalf with that
watch chain, which weighed half "A
pound, friend of mine used to say
and looked ton. AS the bear got
on the level with me and rose to en-
brace me to his throbbing bosom, l
tried to remember that my chance for
life lay In that gun barrel, and l must
be cool and collected and very brave,
and / guess | must have remembered
It, bit to save my neck | couldn't be
steady, and as I backed away to let
the bear go on by me II he wanted to,
| stepped into hole In the rock, the
gun went off, my beloved watch chain
went whlzzing out Into the blue empy-
rean of the Rocky Mountain heavens,
and the bear winked and growled and
came right at me. The next shot he
got at short range and collar and cuff
buttons were hanging in his hair, while
diamonds glistened like the mountain
dew as | tumbled off the edge of the
rock and lit on ledge about six feet
below. Here | was safe for minute
or two, at least, and | stopped to think.
Thinking at such a time Is thing Il
man ought never neglect to do. The
bear, weighing about ton, exclusive
of the loads had put into him, was on
top of the rock chewing and splitting
like the mayor of New York, and tear
ing around in a blinded rage for the
man with the gun and the jewelry sam
pies, while l was hanging on to the
side of that boulder with a gun in my
hands and nothing to load 1t with ex-
cept powder, unless l could think of
something else. Under these clrcum-
stances | thought Of what the last
charge was. and once. more 1 went
through myself. This time l got the
uncut diamond, marked down from
81 800; the diamond stud going below
cost, and an assortment of small ar
ticles, such as scarf pins, studs, sus-
pender clasps, necktie pinches, and a
variety Of things that wouldn't go into
a gun barrel without squeezing. These
rammed down and waited, for l
knew the beast would be coming as
soon as it got It's wits together.
"And 1t did. 1 guess 1t must have
scented me, for with roar and a
bound 1t came over the side and lit on
the rock beyond and Immediately pro-
cceded to join me OF my small terri
tory. Now, l knew nFas a goner If
didn't do someth'ts with the loads
in that gun, and 9s Mr.. Bear came
on the gun went off, and there was a
howl went up that was terrifying.
thought ] had blown the bear clean
into kingdom come, but l hadn't;
had merely blown his face full of brio
a-brac and small jewelry, and my hope
was that enough of 1t had gone into
his eyes to blind him and give me a
| chance to get away. He was paving
his face and pulling at himself in great
shape as / left the rock, and l hoped
l wouldn't be called on to risk my
| life further, but bears are animals of
| no sort of courtesy and kindness, and
before | had got any distance he had
cleared up his line of vision and was
| after me again. Fortunately for me,
rocks and trees were plenty, for after
| L nau poured III my urSl lodu WAS
much more agile than he and could
by extra effort keep out of his way,
though If he could have got me in the
open l wouldn't have had the chance
of humming bird In hades. As
covered myself behind the next point
of rocks thought again of loading my
gun and wondered what there was in
stock to load 1t with. l went through
my pockets and found only bunch
of Keys ana pocket knife, both too big
to go In the gun, as was the silver dol
lar and other change. Neither could
| find bit of stone small enough and
| began to think of climbing a tree
and waiting for storm to come and
| blow me to town or something like
that, for l didn't see much chance in
any other direction, when l bethought
myself of heavy gold pencil studded
with Jewels that my best girl had given
me. and must have cost hundred
and half, If 1t cost a cent. 1t was in
my inside vest pocket and l went after
1