Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1910-02-25

hnu " WIS IoiloWeu Ny bhup ""N
growl.
"As he qulckened bis steps toward
me uneonseiousiy basteDed my own.
when. taking long stride backward.
found myself suddenly prostrnie ~
a sort OF dry ditch or slough, where |
lay for moment hnlf stunned Ia com
pany with my dead birds and duck
gun.
AS recovered myself could hear
my grunting aud gruiDbling friend.
doubtless not n little nstonlsbed ai thlS
sudden Disappearance. go irnmping up
aud down 10 the vain attempt to nose
me out IN the fog,
"i had now time TO think and. as n
merchant might say. take stock Of
my position and prospects. on the one
aide was chased by bear-a hungry
bear. cross bear. bear disturbed at
his breakfast OF sweet aeorns. ! had
lost my way. had only a ducklng
gun. which. however formidable TO
wild geese. WIS a mere plnythlng
when brought TO bear upon the thick.
tough hide OF nm acorn fatteDed grlz-
ally. whose gross weight might be-
somewhere IN the nelghborhood OF 300
pounds. As for my bunting knife.
had left IL nj home. What wonder II,
iA an lrishmnn might say. ! wished
mat I had left myself there before
.tartedI
Against all this | had the consolp.
tory assurance that the grizzly bear
never climbs. which. as the trees were
All on the side OF the bear. did not add
much 70 my sense OF security. but
my principal hope lay IN the fact that
was Just then hidden by the gully.
the depth OF which varied from eight
to twelve feet, with precipitous sides
and dry bed. which probably led
down TO some nelghboring stream Of
water.
Now thought l. 4 have only to
crawl along this ditch. reach the
stream, cross II and bid goodby to
grizzly.
II had just picked myself up and
was proceeding TO carry out my plan
Of escape when | heard cracking
and breaking OF the underbrush which
fringed the ditch aud by which wal
partly screened from view. This wai
speedily followed by an angry grow
AZ the ,reacherous earth gave way and
let MIR. Bear with no gentle tumble
directly down Into the very gully int
which I had fallen.
Fortunately for me. bruln had no
only greater fall, but tumbled Int
the ditch at poiut somewhat distan
from my hiding place. and the littl'
ferret eyes did not at once perceIy'
me. An nnlucky stumble, however
which owed to n twisted root, be
trayed me. and he turned and CAV
, | chase.
"They have very expressive phras
In California when person Ii desires
10 leave suddenly. II consists OF bu
two words. You gitF My dears
when that bear tumbled into my gull
4 got and when be took up the chas
continued to git In a style whic
!, astonished even myself
|. when first saw him fall certain
ly hoped that he had broken his nos
: at least or even dislocated his grea
! ugly neck, but that hope vanished l
a moment.
, HE was evidently not whit th
a worse for his somersault.
at WIS no longer matter of Ger,
mony. sped over the ground like
hunted deer. while my stout frien
came numbering and pulling on behinC
. like a portly old gentleman who fear
= he may be too late for the eveflln
: train. I was expecting every momer
|, to feel the blow Of bis heavy paw
, when, turning an angle OF the gully.
! perceived, with no little dlsmay, thi
the ditch In front of me was blocke
= by an immense fallen tree. The smal
= er end of the broken trunk, being &
!, ward me, showed an opening wild
a enough to admit my then somewhi
more than usually slender form.
. "There was little time for hesitation
|, | could hear the bears heavy tram
a behind me. A moment more and
:, had plunged into the opening and Dire
!, my gun after me, just as my fat frler
= rounded the turn OF the slough in b,
pursuit. Running bllndly on. he e.
!. deavored to force himself after m
:, giving the log shock which made n
= tremble for the security Of my ne
. tenement.
,r "one or two furious plunges tendC
IA to convince him that l could ent
r. where his huge frame could not, for
n seemed to reflect and finally intr
~ duced a paw, from whose farreachir
grab retired into the inner recess
is Of my chamber.
to Finding that his attempts In th
way were equally futile, l began
b. feel a little more at ease, and whit
/ bruin again poked in his great paw
of an inqulring sort Of way managed
push dead duck out to him with L
It butt of my gun by way Of peace {
a. fering. was willing lust then to ha