The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-11-06
BEAR HUNT INA CAVERN.
Uncle jim Day Surprised by the
Behavior Of the Game.
The Bear Died Shading and Tiled TO
XIII Him After Dying-A Chase In
3 HoneyeOmbed BIua IN
California.

mere Is a cuElUub DltlA VI ACABS u
rocks on the east side of Trinity river
in California, said Col, Parker, of Gar
deau. "It is perhaps mile in length,
and rises nearly 100 feet almost perpen-
dicularly above the valley. Outwardly
it presents no feature that would attract
any particular attention to it from the
casual observer, unless it might be
NUMEROUS assures, seams, and openings
Of various widths and heights along its
face, all of them apparently leading
into the very depth of the great wall.
This, in fact, they do. Thatformidable-
looking ledge is virtually hollow. It's
interior is q succession of cayerns, some
of them wide and lofty chambers, and
others passages where d man can scarce
Iy stand erect. Some of these dark caves
! are connected with each other by de-
vioua corridors and passages, narrow
and wide, and high and low. Others
have but one opening. This honey
combed cliff is the day haunt Of, not
thousands, but millions of bats, and it
is a sight never to be forgotten to see
them issue from the many vents Of the
cliff as evening approaches, and fit
away to their nights foraging about
the country. The ledge at such times
might well be compared to a vast bee
hive, with its myriads of busy workers
lowering about the entrances. 1t is
said out there that men have been
known to venture into the depths Of
the cliff who have never come out again,
either having been lost in the intricate
labyrinths of its dark interior, or killed
and devoured by wild beasts that are
alleged to make the caves their Iairs and
hiding places. That may or may not be
true, but it brings me to the story I had
in mind about this curious hollow wall
or rock.
John Day and his uncle, Jim Day,
had no little fame in the Trinity valley
as bear hunters. Especially Uncle jim.
One day during the time was out in
that country, John came to me and said;
Colonel, I trailed a bear pretty near
all day to-day, and what mas he gone
and done to me but holed up somewhere
in the inside of Old Scarface. He amt
very big bear, but I started out TO get
him and [ can't afford to let a little
thing like hole in the rocks cheat me
out of him. I'm goin' to squeeze into
the inside of Old Scarface and run that
bear down if 1 have to camp in there a
month. Uncle jim is goin'. You better
jine in and see the fun
Il liked the novelty of the thing, and
said would be glad TO go along. The
three of us started next morning to fol-
low Johns bear into the heart of the
frowning cliff, Old Scarface, as it was
Familiarity called. John lead us to the
place where the bear had gone in. Uncle
jim gazed at the opening a moment,
and, with a contemptuous sniff, said. to
John;
"'You don't mean ter tell me, Jack,
that you're goin' ter follow a bar that
is little enough to climb into a hole the
size O. that thar one, do yuh?
John said lie did,
Then I'm slammed of yuh!' ex-
claimed Uncle Jim.
"'You needn't go in, if you're afraid
replied John.
"'Afraid! Me afaid! cried Uncle jim,
and squeezed into tine opening.
THE crevice was not more than a foot
and d half wide and scarcely three feet
high. We had to lie down on one side
and work our way along the passage,
pulling our guns and torches after US.
There was ten feet of this contracted
entrance. Then we found ourselves in
a more roomy place. where we could
stand erect. Lighting our torches, we
went on, and soon came out into a big
cavern, where we instantly became the
center Of myTiads of bats which our
coming with lights had disturbed.
They dashed franticaIly about us, SINCE
ing themselves in the blazing torches
and filing the cave with shrili squeak
ings. With all those thousands of wings
in motion, scarcely a sound came from
the fight of the bats, so silent of wing
Is this strange night-prowling bird ami
NAL.
For a time the barrier of bats made
our progress difficult, and the sensation
of these by no means agreeable crea-
lures surrounding you and coming in
contact with you at every step was any.
thing but pleasant. They either be-
came used to US by and by, or tired Of
investigating US, and the great mass
of them returned to their hanging
places on the walls.
eff that bar come in that openin'
as he sartin did said Uncle Jim, after
we had explored the cavern pretty
thoroughly, he oughter be in this here
dugout somewhat. 'Cordin' to the ma,
tur' o. bars he oughter be here some
whar. less he's ben eat up by bats
1--WE went around and around the
cavern, which was at least so feet across
and 30 feet high, our torches revealing
all parts of it within the area of their
lighting power, but no bear or sign of
bear did we see.
"He must a gone on to some other
part @ this scooped-out Derrick said
Uncle Jim. 'Lookin' for place, maybe,
whar he don't have to bunk in with 50
many bats. Move ahead, Jack, through
the first openin' out O. here yuh kin
find. Well-hold on, Jack. Twist that
torch O yOuF'n up lords that shelf yum
der. Aha! Yuh cunnin' cuss!
''The shelf Uncle Jim mentioned was
rather a niche in the wall Of the cavern
on one side, and all Of Is feet from the
/ floor. As near as l could make out by
the torchlight, the niche was about ten
feet long and five high. How deep it
was I could not see. twas deep enough
for the purpose Of comfortably hold
ing bear, however, as I soon found