The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-26
A PROSECUTORS NERVE.
Bewailed the Fact That BE Would Be
Lopsided.
(Harpers Weekly

maj ftA " NgAfS y
The most magnificent exhibition Of
| nerve L ever knew or heard OF was that
of an old fellow named Michael. whom
came across once during my wander
ings in the Rocky mountains" said
a former gold mine superintendent to
the writer the other day. This man
was one of a small group Of prospectors
and miners who composed d camp near
where settled for while IN the later
seventies. They had prepared them
| selves for continuing work in the win
ter by building rough cabins and a
stockade, and herding in the latter,
| with a few sheds for shelter, a number
OF young cattle, which could be
slaughtered from time to time for fresh
meat.
About midwinter they became very
much troubled by nocturnal visits from
a bear, which carried off two or three
of the latest calves before they
| plucked up spirit enough to go out and
| hunt down the marauder. One day,
/ however, they organized a shooting ex-
| petition. The snow was soft enough
/ TO receive the bears footprints very
/ clearly; this trail in due course led them
| 10 a cave in the woods, before which
| they drew up. and in order to lure
bruin out they discharged volley into
the opening. A huge she grizzly re-
sponded promptly, and made for the
! party without a sign of fear. They
/ opened lire, but not shot took effect:
and when they discovered this they
ned, panic-stricken, into the thick
] brush. Michael stubbed his toe and
| ieil. and the bear was upon him, with
! her jaws wide OPEN
| Did he say his prayers and resign
himself to his fate? Not hei On the con
trary, a plan flashed like lightning
through his mind. and he thrust his
I right hand into the bears mouth, as
Tar down as 1t would go. He had hoped
| 70 strange her, but she was too quick
Her huge teeth closed together, and
were soon crunehing the dainty mem
I Der, on which she chewed and sucked
! till she had eaten it off nearly to the
shoulder Fa:nt2 Not q bit: he had
/ too much 10 think Of. When there was
nothing but a couple of inches of arm
/ le1t ne thrust his right foot into the
! same raYenous NAV and watched il
go. All the while, of course. he was
shouting Justify to his companions.
Wen, two or three of them, when
/ thelr hrst terror had passed. were
| ashamed of themselves, and hearing
his cries. crept back TO see what was
the matter. The bear was so busy
and her ears were so filed with the
| racket Michael was making that she
| uld not notice them. They screwed III
their courage this time, took sure aim
/ and let her have it from all their muz-
zies at once. That finished her, and
then Michael found time to faint.
w hen l knew Michael he was per
/ fectly happy and ood-natured. but
had to walk about with the aid of a
| queer mechanism of his own invention
strapped TO his right side. serving the
purpose of leg and erutch in comb
/ nation asked him once what thoughts
! passed through his mind while the
! pear was devouring his extremities.
At first he answered, when she
] Tell TO work on my right arm. I was
most full of the idea of gittin' the 9TH
er Fellows back. When | found they
/ warn't comm, I give myself up to
/ thinkin' what I'd let her eat next
/ Then, when she was chewin' on my
! right leg, 1 suddenly says to myself
What a 'tarnel fool you be, Why
! didn't you give her the left leg instead
Now, durn you, you'll be lopsided all
ToUT lifei