The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-19


Opposite II, exploration by the skif n
vealed long sandbar covered with mul
deer tracks, old and fresh, and the house
boat was promptly tied TO the bank.
5 Two Of the party struck out with thei
rifles for the pine timber while the othe
crossed over 70 the island In the exit
leaving the cook alone on the boat. Their
are many patches OF breast.high junipe
brush on the slope, and in the coulees be
tween the river and the pines, and anon,
. them the two hunters jumped couple o
! mule deer bucks. One was xii cd "A mag
ntftoent buck with large and heavy antlers
and the fat on Its launches was two niche
1 thick. e..
In the meantime there had been SOM
fun down at the river. The four hunter
who had gone over to the island raised I'll
white tail deer there which were lying dowr
In the tai grass The animals got into thu
thick Willows In safety despite the fuillade
Then the men started to drive them out o.
the mistake Of all going through the brush
abreast.
Up went the deer through the thich
willows ahead Of them. unseen OF course
and then wheeling they ran part way down
ssG,s and sssst 1s s rTsl
as they struck the water. and looking out
Of a window saw the deer swimming di-
rectly for the boat. There were no moro
rifles aboard, but he had . large iron spoon
0 III
he rushed out on deck Just rs the deer
came along. swimming In single file within
two or three feet Of the craft.
There were q couple Of bucks In the lead,
but he didn't care TO risk being impaled
| on their sharp antlers. Then came the does
and fawns. He thought that one Of the
J latter would be easily overpowered and
leaped from the deck onto its back, grasp
ing the animal around its neck.
Both disappeared beneath the surface.
and when they came up the cook was no
longer on the fawn's back; he still held it
by the neck with his left hand, and with
his right belabored it's face with the iron
spoon. The water boiled and foamed, the
cook was suffering and swearing, and
the deer was not idle. II kicked, and
plunged and struck Its assailant with It's
front feet. In about two seconds II had
broken loose and swan ashore, leaving
the cook to struggle out as best he could.
his clothing ripped. his body sorely bruised,
and much wiser as TO the power Of a deer
than he had been a moment or two be-
fore.
Everywhere, in the bottoms, on the
valley slopes. and back on the table lapde,
the ground was whitened with the bleached
bones Of the buffalo, Untold thousands of
whites from the very earliest times up TO
the year OF their extinction. in 1889.
Near the Round Butte. d noted landmark
about 200 miles from Fort Benton, the fresh
tracks Of four grizzly hears we're found on
a sandbar. One Of them was evidently
very large male, for his footprints
measured nine inches across and fifteen
in length The party were not long in
determining to tie up for day or two.
The houseboat was accordingly made fat
TO the opposite shore. and the party crossed
the river In the skiff, part of them going
up the valley and part down to two groves
OF timber and willows several miles In ex-
tent: Scattering out along the inner edge
of the groves. the hunters sat quietly all
bears, but they did not show up.
As the sun set the whitehall deer began
10 stir. stealing out into the sage brush |
fat, And from the hills the less shy mule
1t was a beautiful sight. a hundred or m ore |
OF the graceful creatures roaming idly |
around and daintily feeding on the grasses |
and tips of the greenwood brush. The |
latter is the mule deer's favorite food;
the flesh Of this specie, i Is NOT A nearly is" &c
delicate and well favored AZ that Of the
which feeds on all sorts Of rich
and succulent grasses and plants.
AT the last moment OF daylight the hunt
turned to. the boat. At daylight portions
were cut from these carcasses and dragged
around along the edge of the timber, over
he fiat. out In to the breaks and then back TO
the starting point. The shreds OF meat
and particles Of blood left on thee dragged
rails were sure to be easily folio wed BY
bear for at least twenty-four hours, and Il
was hoped that some OF the animals would
.hus be deooyed to the carcasses, where the
hunters, lying In wait, would have an oppor.
Nothing came to the bats that day but
he following morning 1t was found that
Turing tho night the lower carcass had
zen partly eaten. Lots were drawn to
determine who should watch this bait.
md two Of the Philadelphians got the long
4 raws.
They repaired to the place about four !
o'clock In the afternoon, taking their
tation in the sage, bush at the edge Of the
liver, The bait lay on the nat about
he lower point Of the cotton woods.
The sun was setting when the bears
merged from the timber. all four Of them,
nd approached the carcase. The old
male, a light-colored silver tip. was in !
he lead. then came his wife, and two year
Arrived at the halt, the old male glanced !
urlily back at the others and growled, |
nd they stopped, watching him wistfully
3 he began to paw and rend the meat. I
bout that time the two hunters cut loose I
: him. /
He rolled over, bit at the places where !
Ne bullets had struck him, and then came q
them roaring and gnashing his teeth. +
hey had expected TO drop him in his tracks
nd then begin on the others, but they had I
,eir hands full pumping shots into the :
d fellow as he leaped toward them. 4,
Hit he was several times, stopping him q
II an instant, but he always got up and q
me on. One hunter had emptied the
agazine Of his rife and waa fumblina .,
his pocket for more cartridges, know L
z all the time that he would not succeed i,
reloading before tina animal would be j,
them. ii
Get ready to jump over the bank his " "
shouted, a. he raised his weapon =,
r a last shot.
Luckily, the bullet struck the bear fair e,
the forehead, smashing the top Of his p,
ull, and he fell almost at the edge Of the "
,er bank, but not before both men had n
ken header into the water. When they '"
me up, no bear was to be seen, and, SWIM n,
ng to shore and climbing the cut bank, 81
ey found him dead As described. The
hers had disappeared. They estimated
= weight OF the old fellow to be about 500 al
unds =,
Two days more were put in at the Round =,
lite watching for the bears and hunting N
,untain sheep back in the breaks Two Q
e specimens Of the latter animal were bi
'ured. both very large rams, but nothing
IRE was seen Of the remaining bears. a,
Z was with great regret that on the TWEEN =.
fourth day out the party landed at the ~
'uth Of Min River and took their several m
ys home. All In all. an outing on the q
per Missouri In September or October VI
about the best that can b taken In the
,at West The days are deliehtfully
rm and cloudless, the nights cool. One %
, take az much or as little exsrcise a. he tn