Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1896-07-17
BEAR HUNT IN A CAVERN.
Uncle Jim Day Surprised by the
Behavior Of the Game.

Tho Bear Died Standing and Tried to
XIII Him After Dying-A Chase In
. Honeycombed BLUM In
California.
<"There is a curious bluff or ledge of
cocks on the east side of Trinity river
in California" said Col. Parker, of Gar
.deau. 1T is perhaps a 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, oil of them apparently leading
into the very depth of the great wall.
This, in fact, they do. That formidable
docking ledge is virtually hollow. Its
interior is succession of caverns, some
of them wide and lofty chambers, and
Others passages where a man can scarce
ly stand erect. Some of these dark caves
are connected with each other by de-
vious 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 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
th~Gheuntry. The ledge at such times
might well be compared to a vast bee
hive. with it's myriads of busy workers
lowering about the entrances. It 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 it's dark interior, or killed
and devoured by wild beasts that are
alleged to make the caves their lairs and
hiding places. That may or may not be
true, but it brings me to the story 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, trailed bear pretty near
sall day to-day, and what has he gone
and done to me but holed up somewhere
lin the inside of Old Scarface. He ain't
"A very big bear, but started out to get
him and I can't afford to let little
thing like hole in the rocks cheat me
out of him. Tn goin' to squeeze into
1bear down if have to camp in there a
month. Uncle Jim is goin'. You better
.jine in and see the fun
II liked the novelty of the thing, and
said I 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
familliarly called. John lead us to the
place where the bear had gone in. Uncle
Jim gazed at the opening moment,
and, with contemptuous sniff, said to
John:
You don't mean ter tell me, Jack,
that you're goin' ter follow bar that
is little enough to climb into hole the
size o that thar one, do yuh?'
"John said he did.
Then I'm 'shamed of yuh!' ex-
claimed Uncle jim a. E.
"'You needn't go in, if you're afraid!
replied John. -
Afraid! Me afaid!' cried Uncle Jim,
and squeezed into the opening.
''1'he crevice was not more than foot
and a 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
n more roomy place, where we could
went on, and soon came out into big
cavern, where we instantly became the
center of myriads of bats which our
coming with lights had disturbed.
They dashed frantically about us, SINCE
ing themselves in the blazing torches
and filling the cave with shrill squeak
jngs. 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.
.sFor time the barrier of bats made
ur progress difficult, and the sensation
{ these by no means agreeable crea-
ures surrounding you and coming in
ortact with you at every step was any
ling but pleasant. They either be-
lme used to us by and by, or tired of
us, and the great mass
them returned to their hanging t
aces on the walls. II