The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
ABEAR IN THE CAVE? WELL!
ATTEMPT or a HALF-BREED 70 MAKE
SLEEPING BRUIN sNEEzE.

hlllN AA'lAHs "hhH We ~ W. N-N - - ~
rtnl days in February. so cold that the air wa
full Of nno, falling frost fakes and the sun wa
dimly seen as through q fog. Two Of the hunt
srs had decided to stay inside. bat the third
more hardy than the others. perhaps on nc
count of his Indian blood. had partaken OF ar
early breakfast and shoulderinG his rift
started out toward the pine ridges back from
the river in search OF buffalo or elk.
These hunters were professionals. Early II
the fall they had built n rude scow at the fort
and, loading it with n store OF plain food ant
their bedding. had drilted Town the river
nearly 200 miles to its confluence with another
strram coming in from the south. Here. in the
centre of an almost impcnctrable patch OF will.
lows and cottonwood, they had built n cabin
and begun to slaughter the game which was sc
p~lcntiful on every hand. Great herds of buffalo
were continually filing in and out of the bottoms
ON either side OF the river. lnnumerable elk
and deer took shelter in the thick timber along
the stream during the day. and at night scat
tered out over the flats and up the long pine
crowned ridges to crop the short. rich grass.
Wolves and coyotes, sinEly. in couples, and in
hands. prowlcd about everywhere. and day and
\ night filled the air with their melancholy howls
and weird yclping. Along the quieter reaches
Of the river, and in the sloughs. the beavers
had iuilt their houses. Wild as the day when.
years before. Lewis and Clarke had first viewed
It's shores, this timbered bottom on the upper
Missouri was n hunters paradise.
The cabin. built of rough-barked cotton
wood logs. matched with wild grass. dirt-cov-
cred. nestled securely beneath the great trees.
the thick surrounding Jungle of willows shell
tering it from the billiards which occasionally
swept up the valley. The door and windows OF
this rude house were made OF thin, transparent
rawhide: a fireplace and chimney. built of sap
lincs thickly plastered with mud. rose from
one corner and gave forth a genial heat. Ad-
Joining the cabin at the rear was an open shed.
rooted with green buffalo hides. which con-
taircd a great pile of wolf. elk. deer and other
skins; the beaver relts were inside the cabin.
Five hundred and thirty wolf hides" said
Tom. who was lying on his bunk lazily smok-
Ing. That's purity good. but l think We ought
to have a thousand by the end Of this MONTH
wal. why can't WEI" said Bill. who was
seated before the fire cleaning his rifle. The
mating season ia lust beginning. and the
wolves is runnin' in big bands. When they
come 10 one of our bats. they will all start in
eatin', and we are liable to git a hundred in a
night
Yes. that's So" replied Tom. Lord! I
wish 'twoulh chinook. II it keeps on cold this
way there will be so many wolves to skin when
1t finally does thaw that some are bound to
spoil before we can, git around to EN-"
wal, mustu LIl' az it X us lue III " LHe
comm. We're bound to clean Ut a thousand
Voice, the damn Assiniboines don'tjump us"
we've been, mighty lucky thus far" said
Tom But Of course, it ANT time for the
month. when it gifts warmer, we must, be more
careful not to leave any sign around. and not
satisfied with what skins and pelts we have
now i steqmhoat could only come a!onG this
lyon bpt. wish we was laldin' Mt the
fort this. minute with our bunch Of hides.
lGTd! Wouldn't atot to " fingers Of Keno Bills
Tom didn't reply, but he absently wiped his
liFs with his hani. The thought OF whiskey
hair and sparse beard white with frost. Cold;
stretched his numbed fingers to the blaze.
Wal, what luck p asked Bill. See any
"Ifa-as." s4-ta replied. I'm see lots pupil
bull helix, wound bad: follow him up deep
TO soTe big high rock. hole at bottom, thick
frpst, hanging on rock inside; I'm &c, up care
tul. lin smell. I'm know. I'm find him some
m% ,Gosam sSeiaimed Bin. That's lucky. now;
fat right bad, We must git that bear"
That's what" said Tom. I'D, lust as soon
have bear grease az lard. and if he is real fat
tti're ought to be enough on him to last us un-
I'll spring.
The finding of the bear den furnished the
'hA''l' q lltalI IN CDllNtiSdtlD. WHY IhSNtl
until bedtime. They recounted. in turn. the
many adventures they had had in hunting the
most dangerous OF all American animals, the
grizzly. ana discussed plans Tor securing the
one Sa-ta had found. Bill proposed to build a
le at the mouth OF the cave and smoke him
out. But to this the half-breed strongly OBJ
Iected.
Bear house high up" he said. almost VI. to
the prairie. Build fire; smoke him raise far
VI. Maybe war party see 1t and come. Smoke
Wal. then" said Rill. what err we go!n' to
90. SH-tag Be You EOIn' to crawl into the hole
No. me no crawl in. You wait to-mahly.
veal 20 then, ! show you how catch him.
LAY again broke cold and frosty. and the
haze was still in the air; The hunters arose
mIT"at -houIdercd their guns and started Off for
"a" lear den. There was but an inch or two Of
underthriT moccasined feet that u small bunch
o. deer took right and scurried OIL up the bot.
HIrhr long ri i1c, which cane Town from the
iHyt' prairie several miles away. they madc,a
tb5al,i" th astG Hn1 to Eioit Il the =, g GhHrsa IS Of = a buffalo
1ay' before. Long before they came to it they
SAY innnmerahle tracks OF, wolves, coyotes.
AMI ' @bc, IsRd,ng toward and fr9n Iii
tTom %a,csh tIeyy could look down, On The
fngt whore it lay, their hearts were gladdrned
by the sight of Il number OF dead wolves lying
snpuilt i. On" big. fellow had died in the very
lay with his head resting on the culcass. In so
tf]'s"pIHgs, Leaving the bait, they swung of 70
'h vi NhNR 'AAAN -" w. tNN'A AtANN'N
on the previous day, For half an hour they
ioiIoWeu II from cOulc to coulc. and ridge to
r,lEr, unit finally it entered a narrow canon in
Whicll grew a dense pine thicket. Following
~, ne steep bed OF this canon. they presently
tMnIl mat It ended abruptly against a high.
projecting, seml-circular Gin of sandstone, as
some rus hing torrent in bygone ages had
hoTs poured down over the rocky wall and
holp"ed out an immense bowl. Many
e1ulnners Of various. sizes lay strewn about
< the foot Of the elf, and behind a
heap Of these the hunters discerned n
IkGi% % dark hoio in the wall. perhaps four feet
nlgh ana somewhat wider. They cautiously
Srlroarhed It. Keeping well behind the pile Of
tthhor.' at rs mouth. and. as Sa-ta. had told
IlelI1, saw that the roof and walls of the cave
wS,H thIck!y covered with long pointed frost
eetiStals, proving that from some cause or
SSlhrr u warm stream of air was issuing from 1t;
SUI made Signs to them to go M close and
smHll the air: so they circled around. ono on
sSs oTinn 3,ie. and, nEoiselessly edging up to tho
Ion"' prerod within. 1t was so. dark a little
way pack that they could not determine tho
e1leht Of the cave. but The rank, fetid odor that
grated their ~nostrilS told them Enthusiastically
'iln Bfhln was close at hand.
hiu hpt aI-wlSe nature given the bears
kgE'T practically to suspend animation for a
TIM. 1t would be impossible Tor them to live in
our morn h#rL l4t t#tI1.L TIafF too nnngiGtl