The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-07

latter lodged him and was trying to
make his way back to the fort when he
met with his accident. He could give
no further information about Thomas
The half-crazed man woul doubtless
continue his hunt until some tragedy
happened Nc further detail could be
sent out, owing to the presence of the
Indians, but what happened to the de-
serter became known in time.
After three weeks OF exploring he
ound the eye in the wall. While It was
only forty or, fifty feet above his head.
It might have as well been -four nun
dred. The side Of the canyon was solid
and smooth, and there was no way OF
reaching the y except to have lower
ed himself from above by a rope. but
he had not provided himself with one
In this emergency Thomas attempted
to shoe the eye out of its bed in the
wall. His firing attracted the Indians
to the spot. They could not make out
what he was firing at, but the fact or
his being alone In the mountains, and
of firing at all when he must know hat
there were hostile Indians about, nae
them suspect that he was not right IN
his head.
8 His efforts to dlslodge the stone were
futile, and after having fired about a
dozen bullets he walked a few steps up
the canyon n sat down on a stone
and held his face on his hands. It was
midafternoon, and just where he sat
the sun gave his watchers light enough
to see everything that happened. They
had their yes on him. when a grizzly
bear came slOuching down the n
from some point where he had a den,
to investigate the firing. He stopped
within ten feet of the deserter, and
shifted at him and growled. When
Thomas looked up and saw his visitor
he did not seem in the least alarmed
On the contrary, he leaned his back to
the wall, and the Indians heard him
] TALKING Ru and nv he GOT IN and Of
/ fered his hand to the bear, w%1ereupon
I the grizzly grOwled n1eEacingly and re-
treated a few feet.
Thomas sat down. looking down the
canyon instead of at the bear, and the
animal lay down for a period of ten or
fifteen minutes. Then. as the man
made nc move, the grizzly advanced
again. and was presently so close that
ne seemed to put his nose on the mans
shoulder. Then he turned about and
started talking, n more than once
they saw him extend his hand n pat
the fierce beast on the back. There
were five Indians watching. and they
( could have slain the bear with a volley,
but the situation was such a strange
one that they did not think of firing
a shot.
The play between man and bear
continued for a long quarter of an
hour. So long as the soldier was quiet
the beafadid not seem inclined to harm
him. but by and by Thomas rose up
and began to speak in excited tones.
ana to point f~ercely down the canyon.
At this the bear began to growl say
agely. and five minutes later he struck
out with his great paw and stretched
the man dead. and. then turned and
went back to its lair.
1t was a year before peace came and
the Indians related what they had
seen. Then a searching party was sent
out under their guidance, and the body
Of Thomas was found. 1t was in a
| good state of preservation. and moth
ing had meddled with it. High up on
the wall We're the scars Of his bullets
ne a fred as he had sought to dis
lodge the eye, but the eye itself was
invisible. The ten men looked and
stared AMI peered. but nothing flashed
nothing Notwithstanding spark
led up there against the wall built by
the hands Of nature thousands Of
years before.
The ~ had closed forever.-eCopy-
right. 1906. by r. D. Marshall.)