Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1908-12-04

:
knew the bear was at his supper. In
another moment IL saw his shaggy
brown form. He was working with all
his awkward giant strength, trying to
bury tha carcass, twisting It to once
side and the other with wonderful
ease. Va
One he got angry and suddenly gave
1t tremendous cuff with his paw; Iii I
his bearing he had something half hui
morous. half devilish. crept up with
In forty yards; but for several minutes
he would not keep his head still. Then
something attracted his attention In
the forest, and he stood motionless
looking towards 1t, broadside to me,
with his fore-paws planted on the car
cass. This gave me my chance, I'll
drew very fine bead between his eye
ana ear, and pulled trigger. He drop
ped like steer when struck with q
pole-axe.
II there is good hiding place handy
1t Is better to lie In wait at the car
cass. One day on the head-waters Of
the Madison, found that bear was
coming to an elk had shot some
days before; and at once determined
to ambush the beast when he came 4
| back that evening. The carcass lay In
| the middle of a valley a quarter Of a
mile broad. The bottom Of this valley
was covered by an open forest Of tall
| pines; thick jungle OF smaller ever
greens marked where the mountains
rose on either hand. There were a
| number Of large rocks scattered here
and there, one, Of very convenient
shape, being only some seventy or
eighty yards from the carcass. Up
this clambered. It hid me perfectly,
and on its top was carpet Of soft I
pine needles, on which / could lie at I
/ my ease.
Hour after hour passed by. Every
/ slight noise made my pulses throb as
/ lay motionless on the rock gazing
intently into the gathering gloom. y
began to fear that It would grow too
dark to shoot before the grisly came.
Suddenly and without warning, the
4 great bear stepped out Of the bushes
and trod across the pine needles with
such swift and silent footsteps that Its
bulk seemed unreal. 1t was very eau
tious, continually halting to peer
around; and once 1t stood up on Its
hind legs and looked long down the
valley towards the red west. AS 1t
reached the carcass put bullet be-
tween its shoulders. 1t rolled over,
while the woods resounded with its
savage roaring. Immediately It strug-
gled to it's feet and staggered off; and
fell aga to the next shot, squalling
and yelling. Twice this was repeated:
the brute being one Of those bears
z which greet every wound with a great
outcry, and sometimes seem to lose
.. their feet when hit-although they
win occasionally fight as sayagely as
their more silent brethren. In this
: case the wounds were mortal, and the
: bear died before reaching the edge CT
7 the thicket.
: I spent much of the fall Of 1889
hunting on the head-waters OF the
. Salmon and Snake In Idaho and along
: the Montana boundary line from the
:. Big Hole Basin and the head Of the
: Wisdom River to the neighborhood OF
: Red Rock Pass and to the north and
: west of Henry's Lake. During the last
!. fortnight my companion was the ole
! mountain man, named Griffith o.
Grifin-I cannot tell which, as he was
: always called either Hank" o.
4 "Griff" He was a crabbedly honest
: old fellow, and very skilful hunter
! but he was worn out with age and
J rheumatism, and his temper had failed
y even faster than his bodily strength
: he showed me a greater variety 0!
. game than / had ever seen before In 81
y short time nor did ever before o.
: after make so successful hunt. Blu
y he was an exceedingly disagreeabl'
\ companion on account Of his surly
Y moody ways. III generally had to &c
q up first, to kindle the fire and max
y ready breakfast, and he was very quar-
= relsome Finally, during my absenc
. from camp one day, while not very fa
= from Red Rock pass. he found m,
a. whiskey flask, which kept purely 70
as emergencies, and drank all the cor
lg tents.
% When came back he was quit
Of drunk. This was unbearable. an
I'd after some high words left him, an
struck off homeward through th
Il woods on my own account. We ha
Id with us four pack and saddle horses
le and Of these took very intelligeI
re and gentle little bronco mare. whic
in possessed the Invaluable trait Of q
i ways staying near camp, even whe
OF not hobbled. was not hampere
rs with much of an outfit, having onl
" my buffalo sleeping-bag, fur Goa
r. and my washing kit with a couple ,
spare pairs Of socks and some han
o. kerchiefs. Ilwalked, while the lit
IN mare followed almost like dog, Oft
W without my having hold the lari
Is. which served as halter.
US AS dusk was coming on halted ar
on camped in a little open spot by Il
side of small, noisy brook, with cry
IL tai water. opened the pack, tosst
ed the bedding on a smooth spot, kne
az Ehaltered the little mare, dragged up
"a few dry logs. and then strolled .