The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-12-24


queer but immense gray creature sham
bling through the snow and being at loss
what to call it. l thought well directed
bullet might disclose Its identity and 50
threw up my rife and let drive.
My friends would have felt perfectly
justified in calling me fool could they
have seen me make that foolish shot and
have seen the big gray monster turn
around and disclose to my astonishcd gaze
the unmstakable head and hideous fangs
of a grizzly bear! l had never seen one
before, except in a cage but there was no
doubt whatever about this one And he
left me not long in doubt as to his inten-
lions either when hc wheeled about with
a snarl and n gruWl and took the trail In
my direction.
The blood was oozing from a wound In
his flank, but that was nothing more than
a flea bite TO his bcarship, though good
excuse enough for revenge l looked about
ME and saw to my horror that WAS be-
tween him and the edge OF the cliff, which
at this point descends sheer 5000 feet.
Projecting over the edge Of the precipice
was an immense rock like the bowsprit Of
a ship and some Is or 20 feet in length.
1t may look like an insane move that
made tracks for this perilous position, 8, 900
feet above the valley floor, but there
seemed nothing else to do unless l went
straight toward the bear, | remember
that felt then that my time had come
and wondered confuselly what Alicia
would say and do when perhaps days or
weeks later. she should view my mangled
remains at TIE foot Of the great cliff. How
ever, ran for all was worth and, as l
ran on, mechanically elected the empty
shell from my rifle and slipped in another
cartridge. 1t was six shooter. and | re-
solved if only for Alicia's sake not to die
until had given grizzly the full benefit
OF every shot. He was shuf1ling along
clumsily, but relentlessly, and was close
upon me as slipped over the bank. If l
had carried out my hastily conceived plan
of going out on the protruding rock,
should not have lived to tell this story, but
Just as reached it's base l slid down into
q creyice behind and little to one side Of
1t.
That unintentional move saved my life,
for seeing me go over, my pursuer rushed
fercely after and could not restrain his
impetus until well out on the rock. 1t
was extremely slippery, incased as it was
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