Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-30

a slight tDhistle brought him to u stand.
on the ground, while the gray weather
BODIED storm. My camp was in
bleak. wind-swept valley. high among
the mountains which form the divide
between the head-waters Of the Salmon
and Clarke's Fork Of the Columbia
At dawn rose and shook myself free
of the buffalo robe, coated with boar
frost. The ashes Of the fire were life
less; in the dim morning the air was
bitter cold. did not lingar moment.
but snatcled up my rife. pulled on my
fur cap and gloves, and strobe off up
q side ravine; us | walked | ate some
mouthfuls Of venison, left over from
supper.
Two hours Of toll up the steep noun
tain brought me to the top OF spur
The sun had risen. but was hidden be
hind bank Of s,lllen clouds. On the
divide | halted. and gazed out over 8,
vast landscape. Theoretically wild and
dismal. For two hours I walked on
wards across the ridges and valleys.
Then among some scattered spruces,
where the snow lay to the depth OF
half foot, l suddenly came on the
fresh. broad trail Of q gris!y. The
brute was evidently roaming restlessly
about in search Of winter den. but
willing, in passing, to pick up any
food that lay handy. At once L took
the trail. travelling above and to one
side, and keeping sharp lookout
ahead. The bear was going across
wind. and this made my task easy.
walked rapidly. though cautiously.
At last. peering cautiously over a
ridge crowned with broken rocks. i
saw my quarry, a big. blrly bear with
silvered fur He had halted on an
open hillside. and was busily digging
up the caches of some rock gophers OF
SQUIRRELS. lie seemed absorbed in his
work, and the stalk was easy. Slip
ping quietly back ran towards the
end of the spur. and in ten minutes
struck a ravine. Of which one 5rancn
ran past within seventy yards OF where
the bear was working. In this rayine
was rather close growth OF stunted
evergreens, affording good cover. al
though in one or two places l had to
lie down and crawl through the snow.
When l reached the point for which
was aiming. the bear had just finished
roofing, and was starting Off. A sl1sht
whistle brought him to standstlll'
and | drew bead behind his shoulder
and low down, resting the rifle across
the crooked branch of dwarf spruce
At the crack he ran off at speed. mar
ing no sound. but the thick spatter OF
blood splashes, showing clear on the
white snow, betrayed the mortal ma
ture Of the wound For some minutes
| followed the trail and then. topping
q ridge. saw the dark bulk lying
motionless in a snow drift at the foot
of low rock down which he had
tumbled.
\ One day while camped near the Bit
tesr Root Mountains in Montana found
th ht Il bear had been feeding on the
catrcass Of a moose which lay some five
miles from the little open glade in
which nv tent was pitched. and
made up my mind to try to get shot
at}it that afternoon. stayed in camp
till about three o'clock. lying lazlly
hack on the bed Of sweet smelling ever
green boughs. watching the pack po-
MES as they stood under the pines on
the edge of the open. stamping now
and then. and switching their tails.
The air was still, the sky glorious
blue; at that hour in the afternoon
even the September sun was not.
When the shadows began TO lenstn-
en-, shouldered my rife and plunged
into the woods. At first my route lay