The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-03
A GRIZZLY.
Up TO the Eighth shot Bullets Had No
Eject TO Check His Advance.

Eject TO Check His Advance.
Although l have done considerable hunting
In the Rocky Mountains | have but one grizzly
bear to my credit: and IL I'd known the beasts
capacity for CARRYING off a magazine load Of
lead at q canter I'd never have meddled with
this one said c. +. A.. Peck. once of Idaho.
ut was three years ago last August that l went
up against Ephraim in his native haunts and
came off best by q scratch. With my guide.
Jim Snyder. q half-brecd. l was hunting elk in
the Rocky Range north Of the Big Horn Noun
taIns, about eighty miles from Burke, Idaho.
We made our camp always in the valleys,
where there was plenty of grass and water for
our horses, and the nights were not so cold rs In
the uplands. Another reason for camping In
the valleys was that the bears had left the low
grounds to follow the elk up into the noun
tains. and Jim did not like bears.
He had sound reason for wanting to take no
chances with the brutes. for II was owing to an
encounter with a grizzly that he had to shoot
his rifle from his left shoulder. On the right
side of his face three great scars extended from
scalp to chin. where the bears paw had raked
1t. destroying the sight Of his right eye. His In
structions to me concerning grizzlies and cinna-
mons were simple but emphatic.
Never you tackle bear unless be with you
he just pull in breath fore you hit HIM; he run
hunder yards with bullet u his heart an XIII
thai that jim m Was drawing the Picture in Sish coiors
\, ,Io6 ors es1 a X imPT SsS q 1Tiea n tS shS nssa vi iau a
grizzly | would not have discounted n word
from tho guides statement.
on this day we had hunted In Door luck.
and. toward the end Of the afternoon, were. re-
turning to camp. Tho sun was about half an
hour high above the range. and We were hurry
travelling before darkness should fall. We
we're following down the edges OF a ragged
ravine. the guide on one side aud on tho other.
Coming TO n point on the bank whore the ravine
narrowed and dcepened to IA depth OF moro than
a hundred feet, with. very steep sides, ! turned
he was not in sight. a %rustling sound across
the ravine drew my .atteation, and. looking, ]
shaggy head and shoulders OF n grizzly bear
sitting upright on his haunches among the
was drawing the bushes toward him, and with
the other raktns the berries from them Into his
mouth. My rifle was a3s-44 Winchester with
tempting a mark that. disregarding the eau.
let drive at his shoulder. I sighted a tribe too
low. and the bullet, instead Of breaking his
shaqlins r Sshoi ne ieiI. hut hut i In an instant STAN :, he ,U was
up again, cave one look to locate where the
attack came from. and then, showing his teeth,
"A bear struck by a bullet charges straight
for the smoke OF the rifle. For this reason ex-
at once run to left or right, so that he shall miss
them In his fret rush. giving them at the same
time the advantage OF n Ranking lire as ne ad-
vnnces. I WAS not up to this move. and remained
where was as the bear. breaking through the
bushes; rolled and ,lmbled rather than ran
twice during his descent, but both shots missed.
and. striking with a splash In the rivulet at the
bottom. he came like n cat To his feet aud
rushed up the nearer side toward me. saw that
had got myself into more serious business than
/ had intended; but there was nothing for It
now but to stand my ground and pump lead
into the bear In the hope OF stopping him before
pnme nm Tho slnua avery bullet strikinQ his
head. Three of them glanced from his skull
and two passed through his left ear. With
wound In his lungs. he came on. apparently re-
earding my shots as little as n they were peas
nose. caused him to vince; but he barred his
teeth and rushed forward as resolutely as be-
head, and as /, pulled back the lever Tor the
eighth shot tho bear was not ten yards from me.
II this shot possibly ! might get one more IN
was all day with mo. I fired. and the bear
stopped short and fell dead In his tracks. The
bullet had struck him in the left eye and en-
As ! stood staring at the bear with my rifle
not spring to his feet and come for me once
more. l heard Jim Snyder's voice from over the
sayine, lie had buried up a. the sound 70 nd Of tho
evidently very angry. lie ran down into tho
rayips and cam up TO where l wa, standing;
That fellow KIN you; he KIN dam fool, ~.
chance to shoot was too good a one to lose. Be-
.ides: ! didn't think he'd cross such a ravine as
that to get TO me- .
"Jim's lip took In an added curl OF scorn as
he tried to summon words to fit the occasion.
Him! lie no cross it, he broke forth ut
last. That fellow no 60 up and down and down
and up. one; two times while you tumble down
once. Ugh! ana he turned his head from me
IN disgust.
Jim was boss OF the outfit, and l could not
prevail on him to skin the bear that night.
Ten miles to camp he said. We get there
quick or we no get there tonight. We come
back for skin in mornin'.'
SO we went on to camp, leaving the bear
where he had fallen. When we came back in
the morning we found that wolves had picked
the bears bones clean. and OF his skin there
was not n piece left ms big as your hand"