The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-02

TO see my four bears about 100 yards
distant coming towards me on big
lope, and what was still worse | dis
covered that they We're not blacks at
all but four grizzlies. one old one and
three yearlings.
This was, | thought, taking an undue
advantage of me, and made me feel
decidedly embarrasse stood and
looked at them a few seconds. and then
remembered that old hunters had told
me that bear would not voluntarily at
tack man If let alone. So | did not
feel much alarmed. They had evidently
seen the top of my head while | was
on my horse, and their curiosity be
ing excited, they Were bent on finding
out what it was, and what il all meant
Not seriously apprehending any danger
l stepped out from behind the rock IN
plain view; they were then about 80
yards distant, and just at this moment
the fool dog for the first time discovered
them. and did just what no dog but a
fool hound pup would have done. Just
as soon as he saw them he raised bis
hristles and all of his hair standing
straight out, he made Il deliberate
charge towards them. The old lear
threw open her mouth and charged
straight for the dog with the yearIings
right at her flank. the froth flying from
the old ones mouth. while she gnashed
her teeth and went for the dog. The
horse was standing just behind me-.
The dog made straight for me with
all four bears after him. AS the horse
saw the dog and bears coming he Jerk
ed the rope from under my fooa, whore
! had put 1t TO hold him. ana took to
his heels and ran as he had never ran
before. with the dog a close second,
leaving mo 10 receive the brunt of the
charge. The reader may laugh ard
think that this is exceedingly funny,
but just at that time ! failed to see
where the fun came in. When the hors@
and dog left me | be- gan to think yer
my past life. and also what | was to
do. L doubt If ever man thought; AS
much in the same length of time as [
did then. The bears came up to wit.1in
about 20 feet. WHEN they apparently
saw me for the first tire. They cam.
to full stop and glared at me, the Old
one with her mouth open and her Jaws
covered with froth. She looked to be
as large as an OK. and the young on.
did not look small | ST ppose tlla,
glared at her. had my gun cooked and
10 my shoulder. but knew that it was
death if | fired and did not kill her,
and could have no reasonable hope Of
doing that. it is true | had my re-
volver, but | also know that it V Guild tie
of but little If any use. IN about half
second | made up my mind what to
do. II was to keep a bead on her eye,
vance, in which case | had made up
my mind to give her the best reception
that | was able to. though / had but
little doubt how it would terminate.
We all stood perfectly still. and eyed
one another for probably five seconds,
though to me ii seemed lifetime, when
she gave a snort and turned and ran as
| never had seen a bear run before,
with the young ones at her heels. Up
to this time my muscles had been al
most rigid, but the moment that she
turned and ran they relaxed and ! he
came so weak that | had to lean against
the large rock for support. while the
perspration stood out on my forehead
in great drops ] watched the bears
and made sure they were gone. then fol-
lowed up my horse and dog, caught the
horse and mounted. feeling decidedly
thankful that the old bear had changed
her mind and had concluded to confine
herself to her usual diet of roots. 1t
was now about noon, with no bear
meat. nor wagons in sight, and worst
of all, ] did not know where they We're
or which way to go. for whichever way
| would go / would see bears, but |
had had enough of them for one day.
ON this day | saw and counted II diff
ferent bears. There were acres of
ground dug up, which had been dug
by the bears for roots. There was a
small ground vine that looked some
thing like cinqufoil, the root of which
they soon found This section of the
country was some high rolling coun-
try between the Bear Tooth mountains
and the Smith river.
To continue / rode on until in the
afternoon. when | reached a small fine
valley. where ] rested myself and horse,
and while resting | saw an elk come
down off of the hills and enter a clump
of willows some half mile off. | made a
- nd L II.aI oil / 81
what / could well carry on my horse
and ride. and started for what | took
to be a low piece of country, and
through which | felt the wagons must
pass. but the fact was | was in
strange country and had become lost.
| rode on till after sunset. and had
reached some timber and the head of a
rayine, which / followed until it be-
came too dark To travel. | then unsad-
died and tied my horse TO a tree. took
my saddle blanket and made me a bed
and went TO sleep, having had nothing
to eat since early in the morning.
In the morning ! arose carly sad
died my horse, threw away my elk
meat except a few pounds, started down
the ravine again. and after going prob
ably half a mile ] came 10 quite a good
sized creek. Here | grazed my horse.
built a fire and cooking some of my
meat | had first class breakfast.
no visible way of getting out. so l rode
down the stream. satisfied that II must
lead to the Missouri, but not knowing
if could follow down the canon. How
ever | kept going, sometimes on a
gravel bar and sometimes in the water
with the walls of the canon so high that
| could not always see out. / continued
on down the stream until late in the
afternoon when | came ont of the canon
into the open prairie, and could see the
Missouri in the distance. Here | rested
| "A short time and starting a fire with
my last match cooked some more meat
| and took dinner
! then rode on till near sunset and
| reached the mouth Of the stream where
| IL Joined the Missouri. At this point
/ there was an Indian trail. but no sign
| of any wagons and l then knew that
1 they must be behind me. for there was
| no possible show for them To have
| passed to the east Of me. judging from
| the looks Of the country. Here al the
| mouth Of this creek / made another
/ camp and passed the night. During