The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-05

perhaps as many thrilling and
hairbreadth escapes as any one in Mon
tana, says a writer in the Anaconda
Standard. The half of them would
fill large volume, but l will give one
as it was told to me. 1t is one relating
an experience that he had in the early
days in the Highwood Mountains.
give it here in the words of Mr. Harris,
as nearly as l can remember them.
Those who know Mr.. Harris will
realize that any version told apart from
the magnetic personality of the mar
rator must lose much of its charm.
for he-is one of those men whom other
men like to please and dislike TO dis
Obey-that when he speaks upon any
subject others stop and listen.
1T was in the fall of - when
Johnnie Carruthers, Il young fellow
named Shaw and myself Were hunting
deer and elk FOR their skins. We got
81 for deer skin and about 81 for an
elk hide. Besides being royal sport
there was Just enough danger from
the Indians in it to add zest, and then
we made good wages.
We were SiCAolitlt
Creek. where Merrills ranch is now.
and early one afternoon l started out
toward the mountains on horseback.
l approached a canyon in the noun
Iains having very steep sides, whose
mouth opened upon wide. marShy.
fiat covered with willow clumps.
LAS I drew near the mouth of the
canyon l saw a huge grizzly roofing
upon the mountain side. He was so
busy turning over the fiat rocks that
he did not notice my approach. l dis
mounted behind Il bunch of willows
and tied my horse with a SiXty-foot
saddle rope in order that she might
have chance to eat q little grass dur
ing my absence.
Taking my rife. l then advanced
until l was directly under the bear. |
was in the bottom of the canyon and
! knelt down and fired at his heart.
The bear dropped fiat and then COM
menced rolling toward me down the
mountain side. Every foot increased
the velocity with which he came tear
ing down over the rocks. AS he was
comm" directly toward me l stepped
up ON the opposite slope a few feet to
avoid being crushed. He landed in the
bottom of the ravne in confused
heap. and before I had time to think
he rose upon his hind feet directly in
front of me. and, suarlng and growi-
ing, he raised his huge forearms
straight in the air and Glared at me.
MY fright was such that l swung
nv gun around and fired without aim.
In fact, the bullet went so wide of his
head that it broke his wrist. which was
at least a foot away. Immediately he
spran@ at me. growing horribly.
My feet We're encased in mOccasins
and I was able to run i'll those days
like a Whitehall deer.
Il had run seventytve yards down
the side of the canyon to its mouth.
and every leap the beast made he slid
almost to my feet When, however. we
reached the fiat. he being handicapped
by his broken foot. ! easily outdis-
tanced him. / think that III the LOT
wards across the marsh l beat him IL
least twenty-five.
STARTLED by the two shots and by
the SfONlS dIu EuuliIl- w lilt b'''i' Al y
horse had come toward me as far a>
her rope would allow. / don't KNOW
how | reached the saddle. but | think
that l leaped up in the air and came
down aStride.
"Forgetting that the horse was teth
cred to the willow tree 10y Il SiH'y-too1
rope | urged her TO her full speed. Al
most at once she was well under head
way. and by the time she had run tbs
12O feet she was running like the wind
Or course when she came to the enc
of the rope She turned complete cir
Gle in the air and I was thrown a
least forty feet. Ny gun Went one way
and another.
THE grass was long. perhaps Two
feet high and ! had only TO craw! :
few feet 10 get over little waSicd-ou
basin. Here | knclt and. catching III!
breath watched the bear. When
looked nj him he was standing on his
hind feet watching the mare.
He was evidently puzzled a i'll,
new turn of events. He did not under
stand that performances. Almost as
soon rs the mare got 10 her feet Snt
Rolted between the bear and the willow
clamp. aud as she passed The hea" Et
made a lun@e ~ her with both for,
fec, but owing to his broken wrist h'
WAS only able to reach her with one
CLAW and With this h" pulled out ;
c"pat hrnk q" hair from, her tail. Sh'
kicked l.m fair in the chest with botf
feet and again lan TO the end OF he
tcthnr. The bear mHd" for her again
aHd rs she passed him he scratched
EJr ';,,liv on ne mir.
Tantir t"ii:r@, on him, fo:' b" roS" TO hi