Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-21
H. c. CRAWLING
As A HUNTER
THE STORY HE TELLS OF HIS EN-
COUNTER WITH THREE
BEARS IN GRANITE CO.
HAS THE BODIES TO
PROVE HIS CLAIM.
He Admits Being Badly Scared But Is
Envied BY His Butte
Friends.

Henry G. Granting returned last even
ing from Iuigley, in the northern part of
Granite county near the line of Deer
Lodge and Missoula counties where he
went a few days ago ON a hunting expe-
dition. MIR. Granting brought back three
bears and is proudly exhibiting them as
evidence of his proWess as a huntsman,
though certain pretended friends of Mr..
Granting claim it was simply a case OF
self defense; that he had no intention of
killing them but had to do it in order to
bring back whole skin himself.
Il was coming home after hard days
tramp said Mr.. Granting, in relating
to a friend his own version Of the killing
of the three bears. when about two
Giles from camp 1 noticed a pile of
fresh dirt which lay against some shelly
inf reefs of rock projecting from a hill
side.
II was very tired and the spot offered
an inviting place to sit down and take
rest. 1t never occurred to me that piles
of fresh dirt do not ordinarily grow on
the wild hillsides. All thought of was
that the pile of dirt was a nice dry
place to sit down, so | sat
"A few feet away was a small hole in
the dirt. AS | sat musng on my poor
luck of the day, some sort Of
hole and took a look at me. I supposed
it was nothing more than a ground hog,
and without getting up, simply threw
down my rifle and blazed away.
''Whatever the animal was, it retreated
into the hole, with an unearthly Shrek. l
was somewhat surprised, but not half
so much SO as l was an instant later
when a she bear came tearing out of the
hole throwing dirt in every direction.
She was simply boiling With rage and l
knew l was in for it.
II steadied myself and took deliberate
aim and fired, but | guess | must have
been a little ratified for the ball only
seemed to Craze the skull of the bear az
she only tumbed over sort Of dazed for
a second and then got up, more furious
than ever, and prepared to come at me.
''Of course, it all occurred in infinitely
less time than it takes to tell it, but
remember the thought ran through my
mind, Ill have TO get her This time or
she'll get me- This time I was cooler ana
took careful aim. l had the good luck to
plug the old >Sirl right between the
eyes, and she tumbled over in a heap,
dead.
You may ina gine the relief T eXper-
fenced. but it was not many minutes be-
fore discovered there was another bear
in the hole. I naturally concluded it was
a cub, and stuck my foot down the hole
TO feel around. I at first had an idea of
taking it alive, but that notion was soon
dispelled. for / got swipe on the shin
that took off Logging, trousers, drawers
and a slice of skin and it didn't take me
long to get my leg out of that hole. Mr..
Bear followed my leg out and he turned
out to be good sized yearing cub.
had no trouble in killing him..
Later when / discovered / had killed
a bear with the first shot l fired and saw
I had three to my credit. l concluded I
had had a fair days hunt, but / want to
tell you l was the worst scared barber
for while, that ever lived to scrape an
other chin
The three bears are Very pretty speci-
mems of the black variety.