The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-30
TUSSLE WITH A BEAR


east flank of the Rockies in Montana stands
| a great pile Of lime and slate rock. which,
from its shape. the Indians named Heart
Butte. Seen from distant point, 1t has, In
deed. much the shape Of a heart, but when
at its base, and then beginning to climb it,
the hunter finds it is more like a perpendic-
ular wall. The wind-swept summit of the
Butte Is bald, writes a correspondent of the
st. Louis Globe-Democrat. No trees grow
there nor grass nothing but rock moss and
lichens, on which the big horn love to feed.
Its steep slopes are banded here and there by
towering cliffs, at the base of which dense
patches of fir have found a foothold. Con-
Meeting the Butte with it's taller brothers OF
the main range is a high pine-covered ridge,
where a little brooket has it's birth, ana
from there tumbes and glides swiftly down
to the larger stream not far away. Along
this little rivulet grew scattering groves of
quaking asp and willow, and here and there
are thickets Of wild cherry and the more
palatable servis berry. All this extent of
mountain, forest, murmuring brook and shady
grove was once the home of Ni-nah-pahk-si-
Xvi, Chief Sticky Mouth So, at least, the
InGians named him. In palmer English, he
was Chief Grizzly; chic of the grizzly bears.
The Indians were mortally afraid of him.
They were obliged to go to the foot of the
Butte for fuel, and went in fear and tremb-
ling praying all the way there and out again
to the sun to guard them and preserve them
from the anger of the great hunters of the
bear. The Blackfeet never were. They
would hunt their fellow-man, go recklessly
through all the dangers of field and flood but
they let the grizzly alone. He a medi-
cine animal; he was half human and protect
ed by the gods. The medicine men, indeed,
never spoke his name nor touched the fur of
one when some reckless hunter brought its
skin into camp. The size of this bear, as de-
scribed by those who have seen him, was
something enormous. Some said he was as
big as COW; others that he would weigh as
oh 700 n
steer. And then the track he made! 1t was
two feet (human) long, more than a foot
wide. Summer after summer, either this
bear was seen by the woodchoppers of his
tracks were found in the mud. AT first the
accounts given of him were heard with de-
rision but as season after season passed and
the same stories were told, his fame spread
all over the reservation. But no one seemed
to find time to go and hunt him.
There was a half breed living just beyond
the borders of the resrve named La Fargo.
AS his name implies he was part French,
the other half Cree-a very bad mixture, in
deed La Fargo had come from the far :
north, where he had been employed in hunt
ing and trapping for the Hudson Bay Com
pany many years Living so near the reser- -
walton, he could not help but hear of the
grizzly chief and in a moment of enthusiasm
produced by bottle of rum declared that he
would go forth and single handed encompass
the destruction of the bear even were he big
as a mountain. The laughter which greeted
offered to bet. then and there, ten beaver
ski, he has against $50 that on Nay 1st he
VIC uld go up to the abode of this bear and
inside of ten days return with its hide. The
bet was promptly taken by sheep herder,
and the stakes placed in the storekeeper's
hands. I'm tell you,' said La Fargo, he
reeled out of the door and waved his half
empty bottle triumphantly in the air. I'm
tell you I'm win that bet. I'm gret huntair,
me. I'm keel heem tousand bears. Nevair
one he escape"
A few days later the La Fargo family
seen heading for the mountains. First came
little cayuse. His broad black hat was Sc
curely held in place by a strap under the
chin, and, like his long black mop Of hair,
huttered defantly in the wind. With long
barreled rifle slung across the saddle, with
head up and shoulders squared, he presented
picture of bold defiance-only the stirrups
were so short that his knees were nearly
level with his chin. Behind the bold hunter
came his wife in a two-wheeled creakng
cart drawn by another cayuse of attenuated
form. She wore black shawl thrown over
her head and clasped a baby in one arm
while she drove with her free hand Beside
in front and behind her were her offspring,
bare headed black headed and weasel eyed
Behind this cart came another one driven
by the oldest daughter and filed with the
camp outfit and three or four more children.
La FARCE was a man of family.
It happened that when the half-breed fam
lily reached the little rivulet at the base Of
Heart Butte, two prospectors were encamped
there. The breed ordered his wife to
pitch camp several hundred yards below
them and then came up to their place. The
prospectors were just eating their supper
when he approached hat in hand and bowling
and scraping and they asked him to join
them He did so with alacrity and with such
GOOD effect that another painful of trout had
to be fried and more tea brewed. At last
however he seemed to have satisfied his ap-
petite and drawing long, complacent breath.
exclaimed "You seen him some bear around
here, maybe?"