Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12


Work." was filled with vaca-
tion seekers picked up all the
way from Boston to Denver. most of
them on their way to California,
though one hunter of big game with
whom we talked had come up from
New Orleans to go into the Idaho
Mountains from Missoula, ambitious
to kill grizzly. A whole party were
exultingly going back to their last
years camp.
"Finest spot in the world" said one
which was not quite true, because that
spot We found later many miles from
Meeker, whittier he was headed. He
went on:
mo mosquitoes; airs too thin for
'em! Plenty of elbow room! There's
million camps in these mountains,
near the railroad; ladies, kids an all
that. Nice enough; they have a bully
time But We like room! Trout! An
deer! An'-say, Billy tell 'em about
the bear"
BILLY" wouldn't. He blushed.
Amid the unchecked laughter that rang
through the smoking room, he could
not save his face. We were mounting
the Continental Divide to the Tennes-
see Pass. Outside the Arkansas boiled
over its jagged bed, and all the Won
ders of red and orange and purple
cliffs made foreground for vistas.
dissolving as we rounded curves, of
mountain behind mountain sloping
gently skyward or soaring in sheer
perpendicular lines to the clouds. East
TO the Atlantic the Arkansas hurried; !;
beyond the watershed ten thousand
feet high, toward which we climbed
we should burst from the long tunnel
to run beside the Eagle and the Grand
whose waters reach the Pacific.
BILLY found an Indians trail
didn't you 'Billy'?' good naturedly
jeered the one they called "Perk."
You see, he thought it was an In
dams, barefooted Indians" said he
expansively to the room in general.
but it was bear's''-he said it
"bearr's," being a native of Wiscon-
sin. "'Billy' was death on bears. He
used to tell us how his uncle killed a
grizzly out Oregon way with n lead
pencil-eh, Billy? So Billy took n
Winchester an went bear hunting.
Fore he got us to help he chased his
Invisible, but trembling, quarry-let
me see-six weeks, think, it was"
Three days" said "Billy."
AT last" went on the story, 1--WE
went out together and beat up a neck
of woods where Billy said the bear
had its nest; he said it was grizzly
with fourteen rattlss. Billy himself
sat waiting at the upper end. And we
did start the beast. We caught a
glimpse of him now and then-like a
black pig scattering through the brush.
HE shot out of the bushes into
'Billy's' open like n waddling sky
rocket, and not seeing Billy he sat
up to look back. But Billy! His eyes
Dulged out like marbles. l tell you.
gentlemen, his hair rose so fast his hat
went up like clay pigeon from trap.
He dropped his gun, and in two strides
he waded into that bear dead bent for
Kaiser. Excited? He kicked, he
punched; he kicked again. His uncle.
with the lead pencil and the grizzly.
was nothing to Billy bare handed,
mauling that scared, black, haIf-grovu
cub. 1t wasn't ten seconds before the
bear found the mill too hottie was
no prize fighter-and while Billy
chased him into the woods. rocking
him with everything he could reach.
we rolled on the ground and laughed.
When We came up to Billy he was
sitting on the grass with his legs stuck
out in front, looking at the rihe-he
had picked it up. And crylngw
Most of that's lie,' said "Billy."
"but 1 guess 1 did forget the gun"
and, frightening little, II landed him
couple of good ones, though And
we all Joined the mighty laugh that
went up.