The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-04-01
But Still the Bear Was Able to
Kill the Man Who Was
Hunting Him.
A Q M HUNT STORY
Remarkable Account of the Vitality
and Fighting Quality Of a Bad
Bear-Mieht Have Had on
Armor Plates.

~ - AkciAkJ IN I'll lllS odllScI
of attacking a grizzly, except under the
most favorable circumstances" said the
man from Wyoming, occurred recently
in the Wind river country of my state.
I'VE had started after a bunch of
missing cattle. AS we were fording
Teapot creek the broncos began to
snort n rear and give evidences Of
their unwillingness to go further. We
poke about for some reason for their
action and then heard the snap and
clash of teeth and the peculiar hoglike
Growl of a grizzly.
standing on his hind legs, and strip
ping the service bushes of their succu-
lent fruit, was a big silver-top. He did
not seem to be disposed to dispute pas
sage, although his objection to the in
t%erruption of his feast was quite appar-
ent. In spite of his %belligerent growls
he did not discontinue his meal, u
went on raking the bushes through his
open Jaws and m~asticating berries,
leaves and twigs as though all were
equally toothsome.
Upon reaching the other side of the
creek, we rode up the bank and over a.
level stretch of ground that lay at the
base Of the foothills. Some one had sug-
gested taking a shot at Bruin, but the
foreman discouraged the idea calling
attention to the fact that bear hides
were not good in August and that it
would be necessary to find the steers
before dark.
Just then the trail Of the cattle was
lost for a moment, n we stopped to
look around. Although we were fully
200 yards from the bear, 1t was evident
that his anger over u appearance had
not entirely cooled down.
One Of the cowboys, Alf Kennedy,
took exception to the silver-tip's mood.
With the remark, I amt going to have
no silver-tip growlin' an snarlin' at
me- he took his rifle from his saddle
sling and proceeded to look at the mag
azine.
The foreman tried to dissuade Ken
needy from his intention, urging the ne
cessity of finding the cattle Immediate
ly. His pleading, amounting almost to
a command, fell on deaf ears, for, Ken
nedy, although a splendid cowboy, was
accustomed to do as he pleased on most
occasions. =
well go on after the cattle direct
ly,' he said. Tt won't take more'n a
minute to settle that bear 49,
Seeing that other members Of the
party We're examining their firearms,
Kennedy spoke up t~hreateningly,sS say
ing that he wanted help from no n
and that If a shot vas fired by another
14ld1i IL lile CIO"u tIlGIe WOulu De ITOu-
BILE knowing Kennedy as well as We
did, his wishes We're compiled withs, .
Kennedy rode down until he was
about 100 yards from the bear. There
he dismounted and turned the head, of
his horses away from the game = '.F
A a brave c~owpuncher he sccrned
to attack the grizzly except on foot;
for, in their code of ethics, he and men
of his stripe disdained to do anything
tho + JTyn1111 co n oP tlo +o4fjo~ 90 +1,o
tenderfoot. 1t takes a brave mar to
attack a bear On foot, n Kennedy
was not Of the sort to shirk the task.
He stood by the side of his horse
and drew his bead or the grizzly. The
barrel of the rifle steadied down for a
moment. Then came a puff of smoke
and a sharp report.
"a second later our straining ears
caught the impact Of the bullet as it
found the game. The head of the bear
went back as though 1t had been struck
by a sledge hammer.
fright in the snoutr was the excla-
nation of the foreman.
THE bear disappeared for an instant,
and a second later was sesn clamberinA
up the ban Kennedy Aired again, but
this did not stop the ienraged grizzly.
ing!y rapid lope s1ssght for the cow
boy.
unedy did nA&$1lnch when he saw
WI vas before9 m The barrel of
his l. looked 2brm and rigid as a
S S2f IL GAS;A1o'' $50 sje was It t Sists sseils
and TIM NkSArtridge into place.
THE s. y MI upward from the
muzzle in, M stream and the
rifles crao,NNSsith the regularity
OF clock titc' @appeared to us hat
Kennedy mao .W&#y shot count.
The grizzly. hBsented an appear
ance calculated Inspire terror in the
hearts of the bl Vest. He was cover
ing the ground a Vhigh speed, in spite
of his apparent awkwardness.
His numbering gait rendered him the
poorest Of targets, for the reason that
only a chance shot could strike a vital
part. At one moment he would be
doubled up like a jackknife, with only
his hump showing; the next he would
be stretched out at full length, like a
greyhound.
Blood spurted from nearly a dozen
wounds on his head, hump, neck
allow a bullet to stop him. He was
crashing his teeth like a wild boar, and
from his jaws dripped great flakes of
foam, which fecked his crimson
Eained hide.
Gin less time hat it takes to tell it,
hlneQy naO emplleQ MS rifle, out Still
ncorned to take Advantage of his OPP
aannity to oun the waiting bronco
drscape. He cast his rifle aside and
harris siX-shooters, a pair of short
.AN forty-fours.
his Mthrew his rifle away he struck
readyA with it, and the animal, al
nrobaMous from the firing and
ward aAAenting the bear, started for
animal'Afeet and then stopped. The
him, andAle rein hung in front of
dom moVWell trained COW pony sell
oveHAltil the rein is thrown
The ford&peck.
movement Nj the ranch had seen the
sunnoticed byAhorse, which had been
aaStep bacAA&edy, and shouted:
- hack with yoLAyour horse, ALT! Step
KennedA!!'
s~ix-shooters to too busy with his
only a moment Ne warning. 1t took
yoIyers, hut, 500 to empty his re-
stopping the bed their effect on
might as well haveA concerned. they
cartridges. ,y&&aded with blank
.aTh great, hulkii
within eight feet of ~ whirled up to
and reared on his hihSSAbtless cowboy
9dascribable growl on with an in
with uncertain tread toAhe waddled
.nely fred the last sin foe. Ken
shooters point blank atS his six
v5Sst Of the