Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-08-15
The Big Bear
Of the Tetons.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

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The sun was just turning to GRIM
son the glacier while triangle of the
highest Of the Three Tetons as David
Hanlon slammed into the log cabin,
bringing in fresh Whit of the crisp
autumn air. His sisted Marta was
bending over the stove, frying trout.
Fork In hand, she turned in surprise.
The Big Bear!" cried David. Hes
been in the sheep corral again. He
tore down that low place in the will
low fence where he always goes over.
and he Just slaughtered the sheep"
Dear! dear!" walled his sister.
He has killed so many before! What
ever shall we do?"
Kill him!" retorted her brother,
grimly.
"He must be grizzly" ventured
Marta, obviously.
That's about what he Isl assented
David. "Ou- Teton grizzlies are not
as large as some silvertips but there
are none so cunning and wicked and
powerful. Most silvertips make tnsar
lair In some dark canon, and scuttle
when they see man, but these fell
lows range far and wide, just hunting
for trouble
The Big Bear had done enough mis-
chief UP and down the Teton Basin to
warrant his bad reputation. Every
rancher for miles hated and feared
him. He was an ugly. surly fellow,
although not SO large as California
grizzly.
Il mean to catch the Big Bear"
boasted David. I'll sell his wicked
old hide for twenty-five dollars, Marta.
and you can buy some trinkets." He
laughed, although he felt angry
enough over his losses occasioned by
1.-THE bears depredations.
You must be careful" cautioned
his sister. She knew David had killed
20 mary bears during their five years
SIN the Teton Basin that he felt only
contempt for the big clumsy fellows.
He made no ado about killing a
bear, A good gun, steady nerves, and
bullet we'll placed-that was all that
was required. OF course, he would
add, you must look sharp when you
meet bear with Cubs, or wound or
corner grizzly. And one would
hardly shoot a bear on a ledge above,
as 1t might roll down upon one. In
brief, as David would summarize 1t,
man who hunts anything needs
just gumption!
While David and Marta ate break
fast David enlarged upon his plans
for putting an end to the bear.
His sheep corral lay little way
back from the cabin. 1t was en-
closed by high. tight fence of woven
Willows. At the rear of the corral
the fence was set squarely across an
old path leading back and up into
the pines which feathered the base
of talon-like spur of the mountains.
On every trip to David's corral the
bear had come down this path and
climbed over into the corral, partial
ly knocking down the fence. When
he had slain to his bloody satisfac-
ton, he had climbed out at the same
place and returned to the upper noun
tain Businesses.
Il mean to watch every night"
said David, just inside the fence,
close to the broken place, and as
the old fellow comes down the path
and over the fence, I'll shoot him"
This campaign seemed to David and
his sister certain of success. Night
after night David watched. ready for.
the fatal shot the moment the bear
should life his head above the fence.
During the day David slept and
rested, and SO, fresh and enthusiastic
every evening, he resumed his watch
for the marauder.
II think he'll come tonight" David
said on the fourth evening, as he
took down his fayorite rifle from the
small arsenal on the cabin wall. Da.
vid Hanlon's "fad' was guns. He
possessed seven of the best and lat
est patterns. Nor was his fad an
extravaganza. for the guns were his
stock in trade. His hunting brought
him many a dollar for game, and
heads and pelts for Eastern taxiderm-
lists.
A few years ago there was an abun-
dance Of bear, moose, elk and deer
In the Teton Basin. Even now, when
the big game has been driven back
by the Entertainments of settlers, Da-
vid Hanlon still derives a good in
come from his beloved mountains.
During the summer tourist season
he acts as guide in the Yellowstone
National Park. Every autumn, when
the game season opens, he earns from
i've to ten dollars day as guide for
the wealthy sportsmen who come from
the East to hunt big game in the
Teton range and in the Jackson Hole
country which lies Just south of the
great park.
David Hanlon has lived and loved
his mountain life as C true sports
man. Your true sportsman has
triune nature-a poets appreciation
OF beauty, philosophers content
with simple livinGsyd the primitive
mans passionate love Of the chase.
The tang of sage on the far, high
mesas, the incense and murmur of
pines on the slopes, the CLEAN of
the eternal silver seams fourteen thous-
and feet up yonder on the peaks.
these are things incomparably pre-
cious to the lover Of the free, wild out
doors,