Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-12-26
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND OAR.
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.

a.
A Fight With a Monster Grizzly.-
Pursued by n Lioness--A story o.
the War.
Ohm HOUSTON, a veteran heal
hunter. says in the San Fran
~ cisco Chronicle that the grizzl,
bears of British Columbia ar.
much larger than those of California
He Says:
"Ihe most memorable experience
ever had in following a grizzly was ir
the summer OF 1875. when l was new
to bear hunting. was out with 6
half breed Sioux Indian in o sparsely
timbered region ncrth of Dakota in
the Manitoba country. We were
among lot of heavy brush one morn.
ing. when we suddenly came upon the
largest grizzly--indeed, the largest
bear had ever soon. My Indian
companion was about thirty yea.s OF
age, perfect type of muscular and
sinewy hunter. He did not know
what fear was, and was as cool and un
moved in the presence of maddene.l 1
grizzly as one would be at dying
coyote. AT the same time he had the
caution and hesitation of all good half
breed hunters in attacking grizzy,
and at once looked for every point of
vantage in the surroundings, in case
we should be compelled to come to
close quarters with the bear. Our ap.
pearance in the opening had been a
surprise to the bear, which was en-
gagged in tearing with its great front
claws hollow log to pieces in search
of squirrels.
"After recovering from its first sur.
prise, the bear lowered aloft on its
hind feet and relieved itself of few
roars, that were not reassuring for our
comfort. Il threw its forepaws straight
above its head, and for an instant
stood as If about to charge fiercely
upon u.s. 1t probably had such inten.
tion, but as it stood erect vulner.
able and vital part eXposed--of which
parts there are few on grizzly bear
my Indian companion took cool and
quiet aim and sent q hall into the
vitals of the huge bear, which gave
two or three powerful blows with its
forepaws on tho wounded part, no.
companying them with its we'll. known
roar or howl, and fell dead without
moving out of its tracks.
''The bear had hardly touched the
ground, the Indians rifle being still
raised in readiness to ponr second
charge into the animals body if the
first had not proved sufficient, when
there came loud crash of to our
right in the rush, and before either
of ms was prepared for what followed
it, | saw my half.brced guide raised
clear from his feet, hurled through
the air for three or four yards and fall
in heap on the ground near the bear
he had killed. A second grizzly had
heard the cries of the one tho Indian
had shot. and. notwithstanding tho
allegations made by most writer's on
the habits OF the animal, that one OF
them will not voluntarily attack man,
came daslling to the spot and had not
waited to look into the cause of the
trouble, but had taken a hand in it at
once. The bear paid no attention
whatever to me, but followed up his
attack on my companion. The Indian
did not need any further intimation to
know what he had on hand, and be was
on his feet again with amazing quick.
ness. The blow from the bears paw
had torn the flesh from his left cheek
and side OF his head, and it hung in
strips down on his neck. The Indians
gun had been forced from his hand.
The blood poured from his head and
face in streams. He quickly drew his
short handled hunting ax. which was
in his belt, and awaited tho charge of
the bear, which was fully as big as the
one that lay dead on the ground. The
charge was 80 terrible that it must
have borne down half dozen stalwart
men, and consequently my strong and
companion was no more than
AS a reed in n gale before it. He went
down, and the grizzly stood over him
and glared and growled, as if enjoying
the hunters peril and rejoicing over
the fate that awaited him.
"These incidents had all occurred
with such rapidity that had not had
time to think, let alone act, but when
saw the Indian lying at the mercy of
The great brute that would crush him
to death at the next blow of his terri.
BILE paw, knew that his life depended
on my course. Mechanically l sprang
forward, and placing tho muzzle of
my rifle almost in the bears right ear
as he stood glaring at and gloating
over his victim, pulled both triggers.
No mere effective shot was ever fired.
The heavy bullets plowed through the
yrizzly's brain and forced the top of |
his great head off like the lid of a ket.
lie. The hugo brute, although he |
must have died almost instantly, actu-
ally remained standing for at least a
minute. as he had stood when l fired,
one immense paw raised to give the
'atal blow to his PROSTATE victim, and
It last fell over the side of tho Indian,
With the foreleg thrown over the hunt.
RS breast. The gigantic half.breed
indian was unconscious, and remained
10 for several minutes. His left side
lad been crushed by the bears second
'harge, and the poor fellow was
bruised and torn shockingly in other
'laces. lgot him safely to our quar-.
ers, and it was a month before he got
round again. He was terribly dis.
igured. the one side of his face being
CHASTITY scar, but he recovered his
ormer strength. and the last I ever
leard of him he was still hunting
'rizzlies, and many had fallen under
lis deadly aim since his close call in
he poplar woods, when my timely
hot saved his life.
Pursued by q Lioness.
Lord Delamere, an Englishman, who
as spent several years hunting IN
omaliland, and who has killed more
han 200 lions, tells number OF in.
eresting stories about the sport in a
ecent issue of the Badminton Maga-
inc nra rs kho ;ro;I 4, oo~o.,nol |