The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-05-27
MY FIRST BEAR.

Wild bear? Not one OF the Shlverlng,
half starved animals to be found in
the country menagerie with staring
coat and bleary eyes, looking anything
but fierce as it crouches in its corner
insensible to the stirring up" of the
attendants stick, or pacing aimlessly
across its cage and nibbling in the
friendliest way the nuts which the
fearless schoolboy tenders, but a real,
roaring, unclaimed wild bear. The
Ole is vero different from the other.
Before I really knew what wild
bear really was | bad great contempt
for the tribe. and often dreamed Of
the slaughter l would work if l could
only come across few good speci
mems. | got the chance one day when
| least expected it. 1t was in Sep
sember, 1885, in Manitoba, toward the
close of the Riel rebellion. l had
been sent from Battleford with de-
tachment of mounted police 10 scour
the country as far as Stony Lake in
search of several half breeds and In
dians who were wanted for completely
in the murders of the white settlers at
Frog Lake. 1t was on the homeward
journey that l met my bear. We had
left Frog Lake in the gray dawn OF
the morning, and h2d ridden steadily
along all the hot day, pausing only
for an hour by an alkaline marsh
pond to water the horses and eat a
meal. The police were riding "easv,"
with unbuitoned jackets, and pipes in
their mouths; and the prisoners.
wrapped in their CANDY blankets, were
huddled together in the wagons,
asleep for the most part, quite indif
ferent to the jolting of their carriages
and the blistering heat. l had ridden
SO long thnt my horse Dragon, a
magnificent animal of seventeen
hands. and a pure broncho. showed
signs of fatigue; and had eased him
for few miles by tying him 20 the
tail end of a blackboard into which
jumped for little rest My compan
ions were two Indian prisoners, young
fellows, and interesting to the last
degree
Pasquiac, the elder, was tall and
strong, magniticently built, and ac-
counted the best long distance runner
of his tribe. More than once he of
fered to run for his liberty against
any horse in my little troop, an lnvi
tation which | was obliged to decline.
Massegawap, the younger, was a
mere lad, fine in limb and feature, and
with large. melting. coal black eyes,
which wonld have made fortune to
any Belgravian belle. (Pasqniac was
tried for arson on my return to
Battleford, but although acquitted by
the jury, was held on another charge
of horse stealing, and sent back to
Edmonton by the police. Massegawap
was found guilty of mansIaughter.
and sentenced to twenty years impri
sonment in the Wood Mountain pene-
tentiary at Winnipeg, from which he
was subsequently discharged, on ac-
count ef the general amnesty granted
by her majesty the queen.l
Shortly before sundown the sharp
eyes of Pasquiac deserted small
black object almost on the horizon
line, and as we neared it his excite
llent knew no bounds, for he declared
it to be an antelope. Massegawap,
not long behind his duskv brother la
the discovery, was also certain that it
was large head of game; aud it was
amusing to see the frantic gesticula
tions and hear the cultural chatter
of these native hunters as they grew
more and more excited. When we
came to within 800 yards of the place
where 1t lay. apparently asleep, l fan
cied l could discern an animal, but to
ny unpracticed eyes it seemed no lar
ger than dog, for this extraordinary
| discrepancy between the real and
/ imagined size of objects is we'll known
on the prairie At any rate it was
now certain that a wild animal of
some sort was before me. and so far
unheedful of my presence. To seize
my Winchester and ram few shells
to my pocket took but a moment,
and the next saw me out of the buck
board and into the saddle again.
With the reins hanging on his neck
and guiding Dragon with my knees,
| loaded as | rode, and managed to
get within 300 yards of my victim,
when, 10 my, surprise, he rose, and
standing on his hind legs, proclaimed
himself to be bear The sight OF
the galloping horse must have dis
concerted him somewhat, for he drop
ped at once on all forrs and turned
tail. 1t was with difficulty / gave him
i a snap shot as he ran, fer he was fan
to my right; but could just hear his
scream of defiance as Dragon threw
mp his heels aud bolted. l had never
fired shot from his back, and had
taken it for granted that he would
stand the racket"