Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1898-12-24

NHl&9PSkHH SNASiW Mlluit | dlh.
.L9T<a5ssS !, TA4SsEI AS cooks
<r/&Is48T ~ camp keepers
g. \ I&s and general util-
ity men we had,
old Joe Bruette, n French-Canadian ex-
voyageur. and his grown son, Peter,
both thoroughly efficient, pleasant fell
lows, and so warmly attached to each
other that nothing less than memorable
necessity could keep them apart for
tWenty-four hours; nor would either of
them ever engage with party Of tour
lists or sportsmen unless the other could
go along. even if both had to work for
one mans pay.
After spending day or two at Hot
Sulphur Springs. we moved our camp
down to Williams River, almost under
the shadow Of Williams River Noun
tains. where fish and game were at that
time plentiful.
The trout, however. did not take kind
ly to our artificial flies. SO, early one
morning. while his son was doing the
camp chores, Joe, taking a couple of
empty pickle bottles along, went ont
toward the foothills 10 gather grasshop-
pers for bait.
He had no more than half mile 10
go, and as the night-chilled insects
would be easily caught we expected
him to return within an hour. But he
did not come, nor had he done so when
Peter, already, as we thought, absurdly
anxious, announced breakfast
About forty-five minutes after Joe
left we had heard several rifle or pistol
shots echoing among the foothills, but
such sounds were so common that at
the moment we paid no attention to
them. While we were at breakfast one
of us, calling these reports to mind
carelessly asked Peter if his father had
taken his revolver along.
"Why. yes, for sure; he never goes
anywhere without that" replied the
young man. "but I'm afraid he's got in
to some trouble this time or he'd been
back long ago Maybe, though. he's
wounded an elk and has followed it in
to the mountains"
After waiting another half hour IN
the vain hope of his fathers return.
Peter became 50 distressed that. at his
earnest request, DR.. Lewis. Fred Reid
and agreed to accompany him on a
search for the missing man.
Aiming ourselves with rifles and re
volvers, we set out at once and, on
coming TO a particularly green stretch
of grass at the base Of the foothills,
found the two pickle bottles, both duly
corked and 1lll of grasshoppers, but no
sign whatever of Joe.
Then we three began to circle around,
looking, but quite uselessly, over the
matted grass for footprints, while Peter
struck out for a grove of young cotton
woods bounding one side of the mead
ow. He had not been gone five min
utes when from out the thickest depths
rang a Mortified shrek, followed by a
frenzed cry of:
Here men. here! Hurry! Oh, for
Heavens sake, hurry
Dashing like madmen across the lit
tie plain, we reached the distressed
youth In few moments and then saw
a fearful sight, indeed In the midst
of a patch of trampled blood-stained
bushes lay the seemingly lfeless form
of poor Joe. The scalp was stripped
from the front part of his head and
hung down over his eyes. His left
shoulder was frightfully lacerated, and
the arm on that side badly mangled,
and broken in two places; the clothing
was torn from the upper part of his
body, and on his naked breast gaped
four ragged burrows. evidently plough
ed by a single stroke from the claws Of
some giant wild beast. Whatever the
enemy, 1t was obvious that the old
hunter had made a desperate fight. for
all the chambers Of his revolver were
empty, and his knife encrusted with
gore, while the underbrush around was
to blood-moistened dust.
Peter, dry-eyed. but piteously moan
ing, was lying by the senseless body,
tenderly clasping it In his arms, and on
seeing US, exclaimed: my poor father
has been killed by grizzly bear; and,
30 help me Heaven; I'll never taste food
till I've destroyed the brute. Life Is
no use TO me now"
why, Pete, my boy" said Dir. Lew
is, who had knelt by the old mans side
and was holding pocket flask of bran
dy to his lips, your father is not dead.
He'll regain consciousness directly.
Meantime, you run to the camp for my
instrument case and tell our friends
there to hurry along with the spring