The suburban citizen., 1902-11-15

" amateurphotographer Last
year, with a mountain
scene showing a herd of deer grazing
at the timber-line, she took a prize
given by an association Of amateur
photographers.
She ruined walking suit in climb
ing, crawling over sticks and stones
and through dirty wash-outs, but the
prize was twenty-five dollars and a
second-best diploma. and the glory
well, l must say that Florence was a
little hard to live with for a few days.
She is naturally modest and good
natured enough, though, and was re-
duced to the ranks in due season.
Black Rock Ranch, our home, with
lots Of children, is a pure democracy,
at least in principle. OF late, however,
Florence has really performed a feat
so notable that we cannot ignore her
claim to distinction. The worst of it
is, she has never once Dragged of her
performance, and when the subject is
mentioned by any one, she turns it
aside with an air of being bored, and
says 1t was nothing but what any
amateur with a camera would have
done. Such thing is not to be be-
lieved Of every one, though, and it is
just this air of calm superiority to
praise that Ferd, Fanny and l find
hard TO get along with.
We have read and heard that people
who have performed heroic actions or
Hotable achievements become very
humble and modest at home when
Aheir deeds have received public recog.
milton. SO it is with some hope of re-
ducing Florence 20 her normal status
that | undertake g tell of her adven.
ture exactly as it happened
Last August Florence, Ferd, Fanny
and went as usual to Shoshone Peaks
for the raspberry picking, In these
excursions we drive a stout spring
wagon, and carry a tent and a canning
outfit.
High up among the juniper bush and
Hhrub pine Of the Shoshones grow
fields Of red spberries-berries half
as big as a mans thumb, Juicy as
Strawberries and luscious to the taste.
This fruit is so abundant that birds
and beasts do not visibly diminish
the supply.
Our berry camp of an evening, with
Its glowing pine-wood fire, its big heat
ing kettle giving out the odor of sim
mering fruit, and two berry-stained
girls moving about among pots anG
Jars and packing crates, is a pleasant
place for Ferd and me; and the girls
enjoy 1t as much as we do.
Florence and Fanny help In picking
berries, although Florence always car.
ries camera under her arm. She has
thus secured excellent photographs, at
close range, Of pine-hens, sage-grouse,
whistling hares and other mountain
birds and animals. One day she got a
hne snap shot of an elk which trotted
by within a few yards Of her.
There are good many bears in these
mountains, but as they never attack
people unless directly provoked, we
do not fear them; and as landmarks
are perfectly defined all about our
camp, we take no pains to keep to-
gether. Each one Of us, in fact, can
do better work alone.
Thus it happened that Florence was
alone when she encountered a big
grizzly at close quarters. She was
half-mile or so from camp and sitting
at rest with two buckets filled with
berries, when she heard a great splash
N hn oh %
brook near at hand.
The sounds came from some rods
below, and she jumped at the conclu-
sion that an elk had come down to
drink, as the day was very warm. So
she took her camera from it's case,
and slipped down into the crooked,
ditch-like channel.
AS she could see no animal there,
che stole softly downstream, stepping
upon boulders which were thickly
strewn in the shallow little runlet.
The crooked ditch deepened as she ad-
vanced, and the suns rays beat hot
upon the stones at the bottom.
After several turns of the brook, she
came suddenly upon the object of her
Bearch-not an elk, but an enormous
grizzly bear, wallowing in a pool OF
water held by dam Of boulders. The
water came to its mid-sides, and the
animal foundered about, cooling its
parched hide I'm this refreshing bath.
On catching sight OF Florence, the
grizzly gave grunt Of surprise, and
reared itself upon the boulders to stare
at her; and there the animal stood
after a shake Of its loose skin, uneasy
at the presence Of an intruder, yet ap-
parently neither angered nor afraid.
Naturally Florence feared danger at
such close quarters. but she knew that
running would avail her nothing If the
bear chose to attack. Pluckily, there
fore, sbs stood her ground, at less