The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-16
BILL DROWNED the BEAR
And Captured It's Cubs, But Caught n
Trout.

II went up into the Stony Valley
country last spring to see IL / could get
some of the good early trout fishing i
had heard so much about. said John
Gilbert. the travelling groceryman, land
/ was told hat they always waited for
Bill Dicky to start the trout season up
there. Bill, they said. was the boss
trout fisherman OF the Stony valley
waters, and until he took to catching
some everybody else stayed home. Bill
hadn't brought any in yet. 80 II wasn't
much use of my going out, they said.
But Bill had gone out that day., and
would know as soon as he got In
whether the season had opened yet.
Bill got in along toward night, and 1t
seemed to me that he looked rumpled
and skin broken.
Well said l. did you get any?'
"'Only three sale he.
"'Three!' said /. That is rather a
slim lot OF trout for you to W up to,
amt it?'
Yes said Bill. but them three
wasn't trout. Them three was bear
Il wasn't expecting him to say any
thing about bear, and so i didn't ave
anything ready to say back right away
and before l could think of anything
Bill had begun about the bears.
~ hadn't had no lind o. luck said
Gs Ill II Na5 "a e6Ag oeN ~ 49,
that, ] wouldn't I'VE pitched into the
bear that came along just then IL the
blame thing hadn't made me lose a
t~wo-pound trout, the first fish i had
hooked. II was at Anvil Rock hole.
The bite i got was a souzer, n the
trout sprung out o. the water more
h two foot when / put the hook In
his Jaw. and / see that ne weighed two
pounds. / was gittin' the best Of him
fast when over my head, clear at the
top of the ledge, more than 80 foot up,
there come a crackin' like a tree fallin'.
I looked up and what should I see COM
in down and turnin' all sorts o. sum-
mersets but a great, big bear. and fol-
lerin' IL close was the limb Of a tree.
The bear plunked square into the pool.
but the limb lodged half way up the
side of the rock. The bear not only
plunked into the pool, but he knocked
my pole and line galleywest and sot the
big trout free.
ct was so mad tina / throwed my
Va and waited for that bear to come
to the top of the water, for he had gone
to the bottom like a stone. 1t seemed
to me as IL IL was more h two min
utes fore the bear com up. but by and
by he come, pufin' and snortin'. He
looked a little dazed fer O spell, and
then pulled fer land. j didn't give him
the chance TO get there, though. ]
soused in and ~straddled him, and
tucked his head under water. He rid
me round in the pool like a circus hoss
and tried to throw me and Mt Ike a
tiger to git a snin OF two o. wind. but
j wouldn't let him. And II wasn't long
before i a drowned him deader than
a picked pigs foot. I hadn't a darn
thing aG'inst the bear personally. but
he spilled my nshin' an lost me a tive
FOUNDER. Ny fishpo,e was broke 70
flinders, too.
81 pulled the bear out o. crese
and was gittin' ready to GU him up
when i heerd a great scratchin' and
hin and lookin' up where IL came
from I see two cubs workin' their way
down the side o. the ledge to'ards me
and the dead bear. Then l moved tina
the dead bear wasn't entitled TO be
called he. cause he was a she. and ths
two cubs was her young uns. 1 teth'
cred 'em up and they're down at my
shanty now lively as kittens. j s'poss
the old bear had elm the tree at thu
top o. the rocks n was out on a lin
TO git a better look at me when IL broke
and down she come. 1 hope to good
ness 1 won't be bothered with ne
plaguey bear tomorrow, cause i wan
this trout season to open. It's q httls
~behindhand as IL is
Bill went fishing next day. and
awaited the result with some anxiety
for 1 wanted to go after some myself
/ went over to Bills that evening.
what luck. Bill?' said ].
Got H. said he.
mot bears. 1 hope said i.
mo said Bill. not bears this time.
well said i. IL trout Amt so bad
IL they're big ones
"'These IL Is Z seekers said Bill
But they amt trout. They're rattle
snakes
Thunder I exclaimed.
Yes said Bill. 'rattlesnakes seemet
to be havin' q gatherin' o. some kin