The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-10-31
Pluck and O O
O O Rdventure.
when ths Rim. Failed to Work.

e VIII sDe IOFceQ 70 DOW anu re-
tire gracefully before Herman Wee.
don. a newcomer 20 New York.
When ] was a younger man than ]
am to-day" Mr.. Weldon said recently.
my chief delight was in hunting. and
by this j do not mean the so-called
hunting In which some people indulge,
such as lying in a runway and shoot
ing down an inoffensive small deer.
Several years ago II was my annual
custom 10 go 10 the Rockies 70 hunt
the grizzly bear, and many a time /
have been in quarters so close that
never expected 10 escape with my life
Some people think il takes nerve for
a man 10 enter a cage filed with ami
mails that have possibly for some time
been subjected 10 the more or less
refining influence OF association with
human beings, but this Is mere child's
play compared 20 the attacking Of
grizzly who knows nothing Of refine
meut and who will not pause 70 dis
cuss the subject, or who has no re-
gard for the ordinary rules and usages
OF polite society.
IL have on my arm the scars left by
an animal Of this description, and had
his life and strength lasted one second
longer than il did / probably would
not be here now 10 tell the tale II
is the old story Of hunter who is over
confident and who grows careless. /
was with a party Of friends in the
White River country of Colorado,
which every hunter knows is a veri-
table paradise for one who seeks big
game. ] had been out during all the
day with but little luck, and was re-
turning TO the camp tired and foot
sore When ! arrived within hun.
dred yards OF the place ! was making
my temporary home ! suddenly almost
ran into a large grizzly who was nOsing
around that neighborhood, probably
attracted by the odOr of the cooking
in the camp.
Perhaps / was overconfdent and
careless, or perhaps the reason was
that ! came across the brute so sud
denly that was q bit furried. How
ever that may be. my aim was bad.
and the bullet went wide OF the mark
had intended. Instead Of striking the
animal in the heart, the bullet sue
ceeded only in lodging in one OF his
foreshoulders, breaking the bone and
infur!ating the monster beyond human
comprehension. Furious and almost
blinded with rage and pain, the animal
rose and charged toward me. ! was
prepared for this, however, and threw
down the lever Of my rifle in order 10
throw in a fresh cartridge. To my
horror, the magazine failed 70 work.
For n second il looked as though |
would be an easy victim Of the on
rushing beast. There was but one
thing to do under the circumstances,
and that was 10 dodge the brute and
run for my life, as, aside from my
rife, had nothing but hunting knife
which would have been Of absolutely
no effect against a grizzly bear.
II do not think il took more than
three or four seconds at the outside
for me TO reach the clearing where we
had our camp. There was one man in
the camp. He, however, was not
huntsman, but young artist who had
come with us for the purpose Of sketch
ing scenery in that vicinity Several
times we had attempted TO induce him
TO join us, but in vain. He always
said that he preferred TO stay in the
camp and sketch that he had no de-
sire to kill anything, and did not know
how TO use a gun. anyhow.
1T CHANGED this young man was in
the camp and started toward me when
he heard the shot fired. He picked up
the gun at the time although he after
ward told me he did not know what
prompted him TO do so. Then he saw
me and the bear. ! saw him stimuli.
taneously and yelled TO him 10 shoot.
not 10 mind me. but to take a chance,
rs | saw il would be impossible for me
10 reach weapon and turn with ii
before the bear would be upon me.
The fact that the young man followed
my advice is all that saved the day
for me
The animal was almost upon me
before the young man fired. ! did
not haNe time then to notice what
pretty shot IL was, MS ! was too busy
rolling over and over down the hill
in an effort TO regain my feet or AT
least keep out Of the reach OF those
awful claws. The bullet struck the
grizzly square in the heart and down
the hill he came. rolling and Trembling
behind me; his huge body lurched
against me and knocked me over rs |
was attempting TO scramble 10 my
feet. ! thought ! was gone. but the
animal was dead before he reached
me.
"Of course l was grateful TO the
artist-any man would be 10 another
who did him such favor. but at the
same time IL was a little blow 10 my
pride as hunter 20 have the only man
in the camp who refused 10 hunt come
10 my rescue ia this manner. and NJ
the same time have him secure the
credit OF killing the largest grizzly we
bagged during the trip and one OF the
largest | have ever seen in all Of my
experience New York Times
struck nv waterspout,
An accurate description Of a water
spout at close range given In the