The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-14
A GAME OF BLUFF WITH A SILL
VER-1iP.


In the summer of 81 my partner and
were working quartz claim in the Cabi-
net range northwestern Montana, being
/ camped on Granite creek. a tributary OF
Libby creek This was before the adj
vent of the Great Northern railway. Our
nearest supply point was Horse Plains, on
the Northern Pacific railway. and We
were therefore compelled 10 pack our
supplies over a rough trail a distance Of
| 115 miles across the Flathead Indian reser-
walton,
The month of June was just coming TO
/ an end when, our supplies getting short,
we decided to round up our pack and
saddle horses and make trip out TO the
plains for provisions At daybreak one
morning my partner started one way and
l the other il search of the horses,
which, being 'beIled." could generally
be located within mile or two of camp.
l took along only a couple of halter ropes.
and not wishing TO be encountered with
my gun, L left it in camp.
l was picking my way on the side OF
the mountain where a number OF large
trees had blown down, and where the IN
derbrush had grown up among them,
forming little thickets. Occasionally l
would stop and listen in hopes OF being
able to locate the horses. When l had
reached the heaviest part OF the windfaIl
1 heard great racket just below me. but
could not see what was causing It. l
climbed up on top OF an cid root that
projected upward from a pine tree that
had blown over. and from this new point
OF vantage could see over the tops OF the
underbrush. The cause of the disturb
ance was only about 100 feet below me,
but behind bunch of bushes An occa-
sional cloud of dust arose over the tops
of these bushes, showing great activity
on the part of the author of the noise.
At first l thought ii was some pros
pector digging a hole, but l waited In
vain for the sound of that peculiar ring
that comes from the contact Of miner
shovel with gravel and stones.
Just then a large boulder got turned
loose and went crashing down the hill.
began to get impatient in my growing
curiosity to learn the cause of the noise.
so l called out loudly, Hi, therel" Al
though L got no response the racket stop
ped The bushes about the scene OF the
commotion began to shake. and 1 could
see that something was coming my way.
Pretty soon an immense silver-tip bear
stepped out in a little opening only about
seventy-five feet below me. His age was
clearly evident by the fact that he was
almost white around the head and neck.
Els ears were cropped and split, showing
he had been up against his neighbors in
many an encounter for supremacy. His
coat was partly shed, and this. together
with his Scared face and ears. made him
about the most savage looking brute l
ever before got close to.
Instinctively 1 realized that the best
thing l could do under the circum
stances was to stand my ground, so sum-
moning all the courage which was left
in my fast-freezing frame. l decided to
remain pat and run a bluff. Oh. what
wouldn't L have given for my old $3.50?
There wasn't as much as standing tree
conveniently near that l could climb, and
there 1 stood like an Egyptian mummy,
with a large silver-tip bear making his
way toward me as fast the uphill and
tangled condition OF the underbrush would
permit. l knew that to hesitate meant
disaster, and being anxious to see if still
had my voice. waved my arms and yelled
out as loudly as l could, Hi, there.
What are you doing there?" l felt
frightened at the sound of my own voice.
which seemed to come from some one
else mile or SO away. over the HILL
Instantly he was all attention, and threw
UP his head and looked at me. All the
hair that was on him seemed to suddenly
turn the wrong way. In order to more
clearly emphasize my bluff, 1 pulled off
my hat and waved it, at the same time
calling loudly at him to get off the face
of the earthr'
Did he get? Well, 1 should say So but
in the wrong direction, for with a fierce
''woo-oofr' he made a dash for the old
root that I was standing on. Up TO this
time l had run my bluff by standing pat.
but when 1 saw that hulk of hair, claws
and teeth coming at me as If the devil
was after him, / turned myself loose,
and would be running yet If my wind held
out How I ever got out Of that jungle
/ he
tell I remember only of hitting the
high places for about 200 yards. where I
came TO tree that was climbable. When
| mad perched myself on a limb at a safe
distance from the ground, / took a
casual survey along the trail of dust
that I had just made. but to my great
surprise and relief. no bear was in sight.
l couldn't quite understand what caused
him to turn back. Whether he thought,
after reaching the old root on which / was
standing, that he was too badly handi-
capped. and quit, or that he got wind of
me which frightened him as badly as
was. viii never be known. At any rate,
l waited a while for him to show up.
but not getting sight of him again,
Skinned down from my perch on the limb
and went back to camp for my rife.
When 1 arrived there my partner was in
with the horses. so we packed up and
went on our journey.
While trapping bear in this same vi
cinity. three years later. I met his bear
ship under similar conditions. but this
time / was armed with Colts .22-caliber
rife. and Immediately engaged in little
game of bluff. in which he came out
second best. OF this encounter I viii at
some future time give the readers of
Outdoor Life a full account-W. A Hills.
in Outdoor Life.