The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-17
ANACONDA news.
N 4 CABIN WITH 4 BEAR.
Oliver Preston's All Night Visitor
in d Lonely Hut.
UNABLE TO LOAD HIS GUN
Bruin stands Guard Over the Frightened
Prospector. Whose Life Ii Saved
by q Plug Of Tobacco. but the
Ferocious Beast Dies.

Oliver Hazard Perry Preston is in
town. having just arrived from his
mining claim i'm the mountains neal
the head of Ross Fork of the Big
Hole river. The snow, he says, is rap
idly disappearing from his section of
the country, and ii now is no perilous
task to make the trip from there to
this city. although he was four days
on the road. He walked every foot of
the distance. He made the last trip
In nearly three months ago.. and of his
experiences inc he left Anaconda he
spoke yesterday as follows:
Il didn't do any mining or prospect
ing on this last trip-I just dug a hole
through the snow to my cabin and
stayed in doors for six weeks. When
the snow had melted down until il
was about four feet deep / shouldered
my old gun and started out after fresh
meat. ! travelled, I guess. about 10
miles from camp before i saw a living
thing. n h / saw didn't please
me. q bit. 1t was a big grizzly bear.
He saw me first. because when I
caught sight of him he was sitting on
his launches looking at me with a
bold. bear look of defiance. He wasn't
more than 80 yards ahead of me. in a
little open plat in the timber. If he
had not moved a little, as If to settle
himself more firmly for a stand against
his supposed fierce adversary, / be-
lieve ] would nave walked squarely
into his embrace. 1 wasn't thinking
about bears or anything else in partic-
ular before / saw him move. Then 1
thought, and rethought and wondered
how to get out of my unpleasant posi-
tion without getting hurt. / wanted
fresh meat, but you know, maybe, how
1t is to feel uncertain. Just hen /
lost confidence in my ability to shoot
accurately. I'm no bear hunter; never
was. / didn't want to leave such a
tempting morsel without an effort to
bag II, so I deliberately too aim and
pulled the trigger. When / pulled that
trigger ! realized for once i'm my life
how very tender is the thread of life
to which a man so persistently clings.
To miss meant certain death for me,
j figured. Well. the hamme went
down into place, but there was no re-
port. i was trembling. for ! thought
! saw the bear coming towards me,
but he wasn't; he was sitting there
waiting for me to adjust the cartridge
for effective work. l threw the lock
and looked. No cartridge in the barrel.
none in the magazine! Not a cartridge
I'm my pocket My weapon was use
less, i was I1tlDltSS, at III ihtity VI a
big grizzly. and miles away from a
una being. 1t was a terrible sus-
pense. a painful fright.
Il ~involuntarily backed away and
slowly, gradually turned my body
about. still keeping my eyes riveted
pon the bear. / walked. cautiously
retraced my steps, hoping that my
stealthy homeward movement would
be unnoticed by the grizzly. l had
gone probably 20 PAGES before the bear
moved, and when he did move he
started to follow me. | turned and
ran with all my might towards camp.
The bear kept about the same dis
tance behind me until / got within a
hundred yards of the cabin, when he
closed i'm on me and we reached the
door neck and neck. 1 sprang
upon my bed and cache for my car
fridge belt. but it wasn't there. 1t
was hanging behind the door, and the
bear was lying lazily just outside with
his big paws carelessly thrown across
the threshold. His eyes were focused
on my frightened countenance, and l
knew that IL l attempted to get the
cartridge belt he would slap my face
and probably pile me up for good. So
what did 1 do but just sit on my bunk
and wait. The bear waited, too.
"A cold wind came up and was fol-
lowed by a furry of snow. Old bruin
stood up, looked out onto the bleak
open. shook himself, and politely
walked into the cabin and stretched
himself out right alongside of my
bunk. He laid there, apparently as
contented as a big Newfoundland in
front of a fireplace on a Christmas
eve. He emitted a hugh sigh and set
tied down for a comfortable nights
rest, for it was now about s o'clock
and the storm made it almost as dark
az night. was getting cold, but
whenever l moved the bear moved, too.
so l CAV it up. / thought it would
be as well to take my chances in the
cabin with a quiet bear as to try to
find comfort out in a snow storm.
Horrible feelings of Dreadful fear
seized me as the daylight faded into
darkness. Cold chills ollowed one an
other up my back in rapid succession.
NV teeth chartered, but 1 dared not
move. / could plainly hear the breath
ing of the big bear, but could see moth
ing but the dark gray opening through
the doorway. The wind howled and
the snow scattered over the dirt foor
of the cabin. An occasional gust would
toss a handful of snow in my face,
and I'd shudder again.
"A joyful throb of relief warmed my
blood when 1 saw the faint outlines of
sfhe beast in the doorway. Surely he
was going out and j could at least bar
the door and load my gun. But he re-
turned to his cot on the hoor. he