The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-12-31

the bullets as they struck the grizzly'a
body was plainly audible. The guide
had fred six or seven times before
either of his companions got their
weapons unlimbered.
The great brute could not Withstand
the storm Of bullets for long. His
mouth fairly spouted blood, showing
that his lungs had been perforated, and
glaring patches of gore appeared upon
his breast. A bullet from Hanks rife
finally found the brain through the eye
and the grizzly fell dead.
Both the officers were woefully con-
fused, evan when it was all over; but
Hank lad killed grizzly before. St4ll,
he admitted that it was by far the
largest he had ever seen. While they
were examining their prize and talking
it over snow began to fall. 1t was now
mid-afternoon and they were ten miles
from camp.
"We're goin' ter ketch it, gentlemen"
said Hank, cooking his eye. There's
hard storm comm. Do you take the
back track. pick up haunch Of that
venison Ole Ephr'am didn't care for
I reckon the wolves haven't got it yet
an make camp. I'll strip this yere pelt
off, for, if signs don't fail and the
SHOWS deep, the wolves will tear this
critter all ter pieces before we can get
back here. III likely overtake you be-
fore you reach the lean-to."
"With that heavy skin?" demanded
the lieutenant.
81 reckon. It'll have to snow pretty
hard to beat me-"
But it did snow hard harder and
faster than he had often seen it. Be
fore he had the grizzly half flayed the
| snow was heaping around him faster
than he could tramp it down. His COM
panions would be at the river ere this
and all they had to do was to follow
the stream down to the lean-to. He
could trust Capt. Langdon, who had
been hunting with him before, to get
to camp all right with his brother off,
GER; SO he had no anxiety on their ac-
count.
1t grew colder with the suddenness
common only to the blizzard" The
snow cut like sleet and the wind
whipped the trees spitefully. Hank
hung doggedly to his job. When he I'M
dertook to turn the huge body of the
bear over, however, he found it too
great for even his giant strength. He
had his camp Ratchet in his belt, and
fighting his way across the gully, in the
very teeth of the wind, managed to lop
off sapling that had been borne
down by the accumulation of snow.
With this he struggled back to the
bear and pried it over. He had began
to see now how foolhardy he had been
to remain to skin the bear. The biz
card in all it's fury was upon him and
he was at bad pass. He could not
see three yards before him.
But though he could not see, his
acute car caught a sound rising above
the shrek of the gale. 1t was long
drawn, human-like howl-the clan cry
of the gray timber wolf of the Rockies.
Cold or tempest could not quench their
savage appetites and they were gath
ering to the feast like storm-demons.
A less experienced man than the old
WAGNER might have moderated his
danger. Many a man has judged the
timber VOLTS temper by that of his
cousin, the kiote, and bitterly has he
paid for his mistake. The kiote is
coward; the timber wolf knows not
what fear is. Had he the strength COM
mensurate with his savageness. the
mountain lion-even therrizzly itself
would scarcely be his master.
Hank realized that he had but little
time to live. If he should start for
camp now the wolves might remain to
sup upon his dead grizzly; but they
might follow him! There was consid-
cradle doubk besides, whether he would
ever reach camp. The cold was in
tense, and his body was fast growing
benumbed. He could not long hesitate.
Selling his Ratchet again, he split
open the bears carcass from neck to
chin. Removing the entrails and
larger organs, he crawled into the
smoking body and drew the upper side
over him#. The animal heat of the
grizzly warmed him through, and, the
snow drifting over him, he was soon
quite comfortable. Snow does not pack
hard enough to exclude all air and he
breathed well enough. Fortunately the
storm continued for some hours, so that
the wolves did not Immediately assail
him.
AS Hank did not come in that nigh,
the captain and lieutenant started out
to find him as soon as it was light the
next morning. They went back over
the route they had followed the day be-
fore, found the remainder of the deer.
dug out of the snow and eaten by the
wolves. and, pressing on into the gully.