The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-10

I have seen lots Of times when 1t took
all my brain power and strategy to como
out ahead OF the big fellows. The thirty
years / have been hunting and trapping
have taught me that tho grizzly bear Il.
next TO an Arizona Apache Indian, the
ugliest, crossest and most unreliable crit
ter that a hunter or prospector has TO
deal with.
when l came out to California in 1865
there were hundreds Of grizzlies in the
redwoods along the Russian and Ameri-
can rivers. That reminds me OF a funny
experience OF mine. ] was green ana
fresh then, even II had been IN the war.
one morning l was out alone for deer IN
the Lake county foothills when l saw
whopping big grizzly way up on the slide
of a mountain: / went right after IL with
out realizing the risk. / crept cautious
ly up the mountain. keeping out OF sight
Of the bear as much as possible / got
within 100 yards OF him. and taking
careful aim, Just at the back OF the Shout
der, / let drive The bear fell at tho
crack OF the gun, but was on his feet
again in an instant and came tearing
down the mountain In bee-line for where
| stood My rifle was a muzzle~loadcr,
and / had no time to reload. / was not
half so anxious to kill the bear as l was
TO save my own bacon. A tree stood be-
low me. and without stopping to meas.
ure its size or to consider what sort OF
a place of refuge II was, 1 sprang to Il
and went up like a coon chased by pack
OF hounds. | had reached the branches
about ten feet from the ground, and had
not yet thought of looking down when
heard the bear scratching at the foot OF
the tree and imagined he was coming ar
ter me.
wei, he didn't come. and when had
climbed about as high as / could get I
straddled a limb to await developments.
The grizzly stood on his HAD legs ecratch-
ed and growled and snarled, while my
heart was right between my teeth, must
confess.
After an hour. when the bear Gained
down, ] felt easier. l thought the bear
would soon get tired OF keeping watch and
would get up and 20 away. He did moth
ing OF the kind however and hour after
bear. / imagined / saw him move occa-
sionally. But he lay stlll, and finally /
began to break branches and throw them
down on him, and yelled at him until /
was hoarse There he lay. and he seemed
determined TO remain there until he starv-
ed mo out My situation began 10 grow
desperate. Night was coming, and already
! was so stiff from my position that !
could scarcely move. Something must be
done, and II had TO be done mighty quick.
MY rifle lay on the upper side and the
bear was below the tree j climbed down
TO the lower branches, and, breaking of
a few smaller limbs. / threw them down
on the bear. He did not move He was
| asleep I thought, and now was my time
| Carefully, and stu as dead / slid down
| the tree until 1 was within six feet OF
| the ground, when / sprung on the upper
| side. grabbed my gun, and ran like scared
coyote to some rocks about fifty yards
| away
when safely behind the rocks, peeped
out. The bear had not moved. Then
| loaded my gun, and drawing a careful
bead, with dead rest over a rock / shot
| the brute square between the eyes. Still
| he did not move. Again loaded my rife
cooked II and walked cautiously toward the
| bear. When close enough I picked UT
a stone and struck him with IT, He did
not seem TO mind IT,: then / mustered up
| courage enough to go near enough IA
| poke him with my gun. He was as stiff as
a poker, and had been dead for hours
| had been in the tree all day, freed by a
dead bearl oh, was an awful green ten
derfoot then"