Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-04

Grandpa COIOnel, tell US story
well, we'll, Suppose L tell you
about Il bear
Sixty or more years ago. in the days
when California was only poor. faroff
Mexican California and nothing more
and l was a very young officer in I'm
Gle Sans little army. L once found my
self stationed at certain inland town.
if a collection OF adobe or mud huts
deserved the name. situated about six
~ miles distant from the then scarce
ly larger village of Yerba Buena, the
now mighty city Of San Francisco.
I'VE were doing garrison duty, sin
gle company under old Captain Jack
B.. an easy going commander, who
gave US little to do and plenty of time
TO do it in.
so. as the hours hung somewhat
heavily upon our hands. Captain Jack
and 1.-THE only officers at the post
took to hunting and shooting. with
now and then Il little fishing by way
of change to vary the monotony of our
soldier life. Countless flocks of wild
geese, brant and lesser waterfowl
came by thousands to banquet upon
the wild oat fields and make their
reedy homes among the wide marshes
which separate the firmer land about
Sonoma from the spreading bays that
terminate in the Golden Gate.
1--WE had goose for dinner. brant for
breakfast and cold duck for supper
and lunch till old Jack declared his
belief that he should quack if we ate
any mere such fare.
Zone morning l had been very sue
cessful at duck shooting, and when
l tired of the sport l proceeded to
shoulder my piece and secure my
game for the homeward tramp of three
or four miles.
LAS l lost sight of the shooting
grounds and began to enter the live
oak groves scattered here and there
along the higher ridges bordering the
marshy edges of the bay l found my
self suddenly enveloped in one Of
those dense mists which sweep up at
certain seasons from the sea, like the
ocean vapors of a Newport summer
afternoon.
"As I had no special path and was
travelling only by familiar landmarks
now rendered indistinct by the hOary
haze, 1 was obliged to move more slow
missed my way.
Reaching at length space open
upon three sides. the fourth being thin
~ wooded, but without a particle of
underground, paused for a moment
to survey. so far as my limited horizon
would permit. a tract of country which
was new to me. Moreover, l hoped to
hear the sound of running water,
which, as 1 knew the general direction
of the streams, would serve to guide
me in taking what sailors call fresh
departure.
''While listening intehtly heard
from the wooded side of my narrow.
visible world a sort of pounding. as
If some man with large boots and no
corns had found his feet unpleasantly
cold and was endeavoring to warm
them by stamping in a manner which
betokened an utter disregard for shoe
leather
Then came a wheeze like that OF
gruff giant troubled with the asthma
and finally mixed compound of
crunching and mumbling. as If huge
hog were eating hard corn. My atten-
ton now being thoroughly aroused by
so remarkable a combination of sounds,
1 peered into the gloom until 1 fancied
l could perceive the vague, misty form
of some creature stirring up the fog
within twenty feet of the spot on
which / had halted.
at is-nd, it can't be-yes, but 1t is
a grizzly! Don't wish was at home.
That's what 1 thought. You see. i
hadn't come bear hunting 1 was duck
shooting and had no conyeniences for
carrying home a bear even II 1 should
kill one. and the more looked at Mr..
Grizzly the better satisfied 1 was that
he had every convenience for killing
and carrying me.
"All had ever heard or read of his
ugly. hateful ways seemed to rush into
my mind.
If had been examined on this sub
1ect In natural history inst then /