The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-01-17


| My last experience with this kind o.
game was an exciting one. Our party
left the railroad at Grants Pass and, af
ter two days travel with pack mules
we pitched our camp on the western
flank of the Cascades, in broken for
est of llingly sugar pines which lowered
sublimely from every ridge and cannon
in the range. We had come in after
bear and success had exceeded both an
ticipation and provision so far that our
supply of chemicals for curing the hides
was exhausted, and we were now left
with four choice skins suffering from
| lack of either alum or arsenic. The
skins were fat and oily, and their only
salvation lay in frequent granting ano
rubbing well with salt.
| Their condition made it urgent that
we should HE to the nearest settlement
I that boosted drug store as soon as
! possible. But a temptation that few
+ sportsmen could withstand presented
itself. While returning to camp the
F., day before our intended departure,
had discovered the fresh tracks of a
large grizzly, and the presence so dis
turbed my mind that / persuaded my
companions to remain over another day
so / could hunt him.
Knowing full well that the grizzly is
tireless and enterprising traveller /
| made an early start the next morning.
After picking my way for about two
miles in the uncertain light of the
stars | climbed the side of steep
mountain just as dawn was breaking.
Feering eagerly in every direction l
could discover nothing that the most
vivid imagination could conjure into a
bear Nevertheless l found much else
of interest to observe, as who will not
on such a morning in such a country?
Following a well-defined game trail to
the east / became so intent in reading
the tracks of different wild animals
which seemed to have fallen into the
same trail, that I alost forgot the one
whose huge footprints had 50 lately
aroused my curiosity and driven all
sleep from my eyes. When the first
rays of the sun came pouring down the
canon, flooding the whole landscape
with their penetrating light, they sud
denly revealed to my vigilant eye the
dark forms of two bears about six hun
dred yards further down the same ridge
on which I stood. They were just dis
appearing over the divide. Looking still
more carefully hundred yards further
up the mountain I could discern the
outlines of another and larger bear, as
he sauntered awkwardly across small
glade,
He was making his way toward a
growth of chincapins, which extended
far up the mountain, growing thickest
and largest in the moist. shadowy cor
ners amid an upheaval of purpllsh gray
boulders. Eagerly l watched him as he
prepared to make his breakfast of the
nuts which nature had provided with
such a lavish hand. Then dropping
down the side of the mountain few
PAGES. so as to be out of his sight, I
worked round a tangle of blackberry
bushes, lodging fallen logs and broken
limbs, and avoiding the swish Of the
bushes against my overalls and taking
every precauton to secure silent and
successful advance.
Suddenly | beat hasty retreat, for
strong breeze had sprung up from the
west that threatened to carry my scent
to the bear, as had been my misfortune
only the day before, when lost a shot
at three big fellows who winded me
from a distance OF almost six hundred
yards. I crossed the first saddle to the
north side of the divide, and continued
to thread my way as rapidly as posi-
bic along the broad. open summit until
was far enough to be out of my bears
sight, scent and hearing. When about
opposite to the spot on which l had last
seen him feeding | changed my course
and headed over the mountain.
Gaining the south side once more, I
tried to locate the bear by looking to-
ward the paddle where I had crossed
the mountain but the closest scrutiny
disclosed nothing For another half
hour | hunted for a sign of my quarry,
making a minute examination of every
bush and shadows. of every old stump
and dark mass of any description, but
could discern no living thing. / lis
tened but could hear nothing, not even
the hum of bee nor the chirp of a
bird even the wind had hushed. Had
the bear gone up grade or down grade,
over the mountain or down the slope?
1t was too carly for him to have stopped
feeding, Perhaps he was tired of his
solitude and had gone to seek some con-
genial mate. All these and many other
surmises came coursing through my
mind, but they could give me no clue.
What was the meaning of that jay
that now came flying swiftly over the
ridge and lit on the top of a charred old
fir? Its discor6ant cries attracted 9TH !
els, who, ebattering and scolding in
their tantalizing way came swooping
down one after another, but always to
the same spot; then back again to their
perch above, in a way that thoroughly
aroused my suspicious. I listened |
again. A small rock came tumbling
down; then another and another,
Looking up quickly I saw bush quiv
er some two hundred and fifty feet |
above me.
One more moment of suspense and |
then l saw a streak of grayish-brown |
fur that | knew formed the covering of |
Bruins backbone; but for an instant |
it was hidden again behind |
the bushes, leaving me with the rifle at !
my shoulder sighting at the side of the
Fully realizing the danger !
IF shooting up hill at one of the2e griz-
zlieS, | was nevertheless determined to |
open the campaign az the first oppor
unity, regardless of consequences how
aver serious. Built as he is with ribs of
instead of bone, and prov ded |
with covering for his flexible frame
work so thick as to be almost impene- I
ira bla n WO1ndad hear will roll down |