The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-25
THREE KINDS OF NERVE,
A TRAPPER's PLUCK WHEN NAN
GLED ny 4 BEAR.

Nerve Displayed when Held Up by n
Centipedea and n ROhber Mt the Same Time
I'm the days when l was knocking around
among the Rocky Mountains and beyond"
said Col. Noah Parker OF Gordon. Pa. ut re-
quired a good many different kinds Of nerve
for a person to keep the lamp OF life from going
entirely out, TO say nothing OF being comforta-
BILE and happy. particularly remember three
examples that Illustrate how nerve had to be
ADAPTED to different walks Of life out there In
those days in order that everything might
come out right. One was the nerve OF Jesse
Bell. who made a journey Of 100 miles with his
upper jaw and part OF his nose and cheek gone.
half Of his scalp torn of. one foot crushed
and mangled, his right arm friRhtfully
lacerated and three ribs broken. Another was
the nerve Of the Widow McCool and Jim Kidd.
who eloped in spite of Mart Huntoon and his
gang OF bad men. and Jim was stealing the
widow away from Mart at that. or. rather. the
widow was stealing herself away from Mart
and taking Jim along. The third was the
nerve of Joe Lathrop. who was held up by a
road agent and n centipede at the same time.
when simply n tremor would have unloaded the
centipede's cargo OF poison into him or the
movement OF q finger would have brought the
contents of the road agents gun into his heart.
Jesse Bell was a miner, prospector. hunter
and trapper, well known in the Wind River
| country, wyoming. ne nau u partner VINO
went by the name Of Arkansas Bill. never
know what his real name was, but he was a
good one. The time l was in that region Jesse
and Arkansas Bill had been prospecting. hunt
ing and trapping about the headwaters OF
Snake, Wind and Green rivers for some time.
and. meeting with poor luck, had worked down
to the mouth OF Horse Creek. where they found
great signs OF big game and good fur. Follow
ing a herd Of antelope one day. the chase took
them eight miles toward a high bluff. around
one edge Of which the hunters were eau
tiously creeping. Jesse in the lead. Turning
a sharp corner of the rock. Jesse came face to
face with n big she silver tip, a yearling cub.and
two spring cubs. They were not ten feet away.
and they saw Jesse as soon as he saw them.
They were in a hollow, and the position and
place Jesse was in made It a dangerous spot
either for an attack on the bears or for defence
against them II they should attack. Arkansas
Bill had crept to his companions side before
Jesse could warn him what was ahead of them.
Bill lost no time in getting back around the
corner. Jesse was backing away for the same
purpose. when the old bear. her blood being up,
made a rush for him. Jesse fired as quickly as
he could. The shot broke the bears shoulder,
but she came on, more ferocious than ever.
Jesse jumped one side, but the bear was too
close to be evaded. and she caught him in the
side. Hunter and bear tumbled in a heap. the
bear on top. at Arkansas Bits feet. The bears
jaws closed in Jesse's side. Fortunately her
under teeth struck a heavy leather bullet pouch
that Jesse carried slung over his shoulder by q
strap. or her jaws would have come together
in Jesse's side and torn it half away. AS it was
three Of his ribs were crushed as II they had
been pipestems. Jesse managed to give the
bear a powerful kick in the abdomen. and at
the same moment Ark ansas Bill fired and
lodged a bullet Just back Of her shoulder.
Paying no attention to Bill. the bear turned
her head and grabbed Jesse's rightfoot Just be-
low the ankle and crushed 1t to a pulp with one
savage bite. Not content with that, she bit and
chewed at the foot and leg and tore away the
flesh at every bite. Jesse all the while strug-
Cling to get his revolver out Of his belt. This
at last caused the bear to wheel about again
and she made a grab for Jesse's head. Ar
kansas Bill had his gun loaded by this time
breech leaders not having got out there
yet-and sent another bullet into the
tough old silver tip. This toppled her
over, and Jesse raised himself partially
to his feet and got his revolver in his left hand.
Jesse a blow, with her paw on the head and face
his re sitIseru and nd se enSH a f bsnilet into int her her b bon 70
Before he could. shoot again, the silver tip
It it''e entirely rsi "' through oeyGee'i Bill III shouted shout ehd to efR him to
move his head. Jesse did SO. At the instant
in d moyed it The ,si bear snaiPpe d., at it; i Jesse Sse,l Bell
that he could look right down the bears throat.
Arkansas Bill, who had been striving to get
a chance at the bear, placed the muZZle of his
rife ut the silyertip's ear and fired; She sprang
back. She, did not take the trouble, though. to
face. but rasped her greatteeth over them. tear
ing away his upper NV. part Of his nose. one
and five wide; Their, the bear fell over against
a ArKGnSf h;m BIZ dawS dead with b Her enc Rhorfm me nsr weight t
legs and pinned him down. 1t was some. time
before Bill could get from beneath the heavy
With d%iiiienitfy to the ait Of jesse. Who h was Tia's Sit
ting Nd While , he was "a dressing Jesse's scalp
With Vi he two TS cubs N, had md BEEN eaF \ paxssi Eess sne wn,Hn.
OF the fight. concluded to take it up where the
old bear had been forced to leave it and made a
savage rush upon the two hunters. Arkansas
Bill had a long, and severe struggle with the
fierce young silver tip before. he succeeded In
chamberbeing emptied before the bear gave up.
Jesse waited patiently and without a groan
wounds, Fixing them up the best way be
took his wounded comrqde on his back and
started for camp. It was late in the afternoon;
b be reached as Saf before if%POdf arR' for rf BLACK ea Wolves sh %sre
om mn tSaI in vt the h tilS.an and both Jesse and BIZ
oTerfo safey tE EGn!d s toaa0w id dssi Of t E4kd II snsf b i
Bell was a man Q feet inches n his stocking
eight miles away. and the way was extremely
rough. Bill reached camp with his burden a
SiioiN why I't ~ uiii NuS Ilot GIL V
soon. for behind them. and not far away, they
heard the bowling Of pursuing wolves.
They found the cabin occupied by O
stranger. a prospector who had stumbled upon
the shelter and entered, He was a providentlal
visitor. Together Arkansas Bill and the
stranger fitted q bed Of buekskin and furs on
tenee poles: which they fastened to Jesse's
drag started at once for the nearest point
which was Fort Bridges. 40 miles away,
through a rough and unbroken wilderness.
battle Jesse's wounds at the streams they had
to cross. They ate as they travelled, and, on
Fort Bridges with their wounded charge.
On all that remarkable journey Jesse never
once complained either OF his sufferings or
the hardships. ! was at the fort when the
three men arrived. No explanations were asked
or given until Jesse had been placed safely in
the hospital; Then the commandment said to
Arkansas Bill:
Indians?
"'Nawv replied Bill. CONTEMPORARY.
'Bearsv
''The surgeon told Bill that Jesse could not
possibly survive his injuries. But he did. and