The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-24

Tn gong down the mountains on the 22d of June" writes MT. Sommers, T i saw one of the most wonderful fights With bear that has probably ever oc- cured in this part of the country. | witnessed every detail of the exciting and dangerous conflict between man and beast. The hunter, whom l after ward met, was MT. George Saban, one of the largest sheep owners in the state and a man who served with great gal lantry with the Rough Riders in the war with Spain.
 He saw bear crossing a range or low hills He had neither gun nor knife, but with the daring spirit of the frontierman he started in pursuit, hop ing to capture the animal with an or | dinary rope which hung at the pommel of his saddle. Ten times he cast that rope with trained hand and arm. Each time it fell with perfect precision over the head of Bruin, but each time the brute, with movement which 1 seemed almost human, with his fore | paws lifted the rope from around his | neck before Saban could tighten the moose. On the eleventh cast the rope struck the bear in his open mouth and before he could get 1t out the knot was drawn tight at the back of his head.
 Then the real battle began. First the bear would drag the horse and then the horse would drag the ybear by the rope. Then the bear would make a rush at the rider and only the finest horsemanship and most agile broncho avoided the rush. lme and again as l witnessed these rushes thought horse and rider would surely go down before them. I was unarmed, so could not go to his assistance, although he waved for healp repeatedly. He told me af- terward, I certainly at that point have turned the bear loose had you not seen me, but after that my pride was up and I determined to make the fight ] to a finish.
 'The battle lasted for more than an hour gradually man and horse getting the better of it, and Bruin was finally dragged to Saban's sheep camp, where his herder and capm-mover were. Saban got a Winchester rifle and com menced pumping lead into the brute. He was dismounted and had fired four shots, each one entering the head, but still the bear came on. It was intense- ly exciting. It looked like every min ute the bear would be on the man. Saban told me at this juncture of the fight why he acted as he did. will quote his own language.
 II was surprised that had not kill ed the bear. I knew with the shots I and the other men had fired that he had twelve balls in him, mostly in the head. I waited with my gun to my shoulder as he came on. I thought I had one more load in my gun. let him get within two feet of me with the barrel of the gun at his open mouth when I pulled the trigger. It snapped, there was no load. I had made a fatal mistake. I thought 1t was all up with me. I turned to run and fell. In an instant felt the hot breath of the bear in my face.
 Tt was at this juncture that the other men got hold of the rope and with one tremendous pull dragged the bear from the prostrate man. In an other instant he would have been kill ed. By this time the whole crowd was demoralzed, The rope had gotten loose and the bear started for the forest One of the men fired shot which went directly through his heart and he fell