The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-24
ALL NIGHT IN A BEAR TRAP
WITH A BEAR FOR COMPANY

lake in an hour or so, but after walk
| ing steadily for over three hours in the
alrectlon In which ! judged the lake to
pe SUN could see no sign of it's waters.
| MY faiiure to find the lake alarmed me
somewhat but persevered in what
| my relief, after a couple of hours of
| steady tramping, I spied an open space
| ahead of me. but it proved to be a
swamp overgrown with long grass and
| rusfes. A small flock of ducks swan
ABOUT ana quacked their suspicious of
me from a pool in the center, and two
or three deer skipped nimbly out Of the
grass at the further end of the swamp.
now was certain that I had lost nv
way, but resolutely started to walk
around the swamp at increased speed.
On the other side of the swamp 1 could
see an open space stretching into the
standing timber, and I fastened to-
wards 1t. I found the whole of this open
space covered with a piled up mass Of
fallen logs and upturned roots. Crossing
through or over this tract Of fallen
logs was about as hard work as I ever
remember performing. I crossed it at
last, however, and sat down on a log
IN rather a respondent mood 1t was
at this juncture that away to the left
/ caught sight of what appeared to be
a cabin and the sight filled me with
sense Of strength. AS neared the cabin
door was not yet hung and I noticed
that the window spaces had not been
cut out. Without a thought Of danger
laid down my rifle and, STOPPING
down, entered the hut to investigate.
In the middle of the floor lay the fore
quarters Of deer, on which stick
had apparently fallen. Bending down,
tugged at the deer in order to move
it out Of the way. and then suddenly,
without any warning, the hut seemed
to bust up all around me. l experienced
a sensation as Of being struck by a bolt
of lightning; then, all in the same mo-
ment, the roof seemed to crash down
upon me and l knew no more.
When I came to / had a terrible pain
in my head and a dull consciousness
that my legs were bruised, If not
broken. 1t was dark and I felt chilled.
but soon fell asleep again. When next
awoke the sun was rising above the
tree tops and intuitively I knew that
1 had Numbered into "deadfall' bear
trap. My arms We're free and I wound
up my watch, which had not stopped.
noting, as I did SO, that the hands
pointed to half-past o'clock. Inch by
inch / moved my legs from under the
combining logs. AS lay there heard
noise as Of some large animal moving
around the pen. / could hear it coming
nearer and presently black bear poked
his nose over near where the door had
been. fe1t no rear, Dut shouted Win
such hearty good will that the animal
disappeared at once and / heard 1t
shuttle away. Then some squirrels and
bluejays came to visit me and 1 felt
pleasure in their company. I feared as
struggled from among the fallen logs
that some catastrophe would happen
me, but at last, weak and trembling, I
crawled and wriggled into the open air.
One of my legs, although unbroken,
was quite severely bruised. and there
was scalp wound on my head. Seiz-
ing my rifle, I fired 1t off repeatedly
in the hope Of attracting attention. A
few hundred yards away I saw a line
of willows, where I knew there must
reached the fringe of willows I heard
a duck quack and / knew there was
water ahead. Then drank and crawled
back to the pen, where Pete found me
shortly after. He had returned to his
cabin about noon, and, finding my note,
had become alarmed at my absence. Just
as he started out to look for me he
heard the reports of my rifle and my
discovery soon followed.
The deadfall trap was an invention
Of his own and shall always be thank
, full that 1t didn't prove more of sue
cess.
I soon recovered from my injuries and
we had a good time in the mountains
after all. Since the experience of that
night, however. I invariably take a
companion along with me on my noun
| tain tramps. SILVER BOW.