Year: 1878

Struggling With Grizzly.


Calaveras Chronicle


Mr.. Nathan Rogers, who owns and
lives on a ranch in the mountain, about
nine miles above West Point, near the
north fork of the Mokelumne, had the
most terrific encounter with grizzly we
ever heard or read Of The details of the
fight are substantially as follows: GRAY
squirrels are numerous in that region this
season, ana after dinner on Thursday MIR.
Rogers went out for an afternoon sport
shooting them. He was armed with
light rifle and large
knife. Grizzlies are no strangers
near the rancho, and Roger had frequent
ly seen their tracks; but as it is vet too
early for the ravenous beasts to BE- driven
out of the higher mountain ranges by the
snow, he felt no apprehension from that
source. Mr. Rogers was so successful in
cunning that by4 o'clock his game sack
was we'll filled, and as he was two miles
from home he determined to retrace his
steps. In leaving the timbered river on
which ne had been shooting, he had to
cross patch OF comparative open coun-
try, the only growth it supported being
an occasional bunch of chapparal. He
had gone only short distance, and in
descending into little blind ravine came
upon huge grizzly feeding on the car
cass ola sheep.


The bear was not over twenty feet dis
tant. Man and beast discovered each
other as the same instant. For mo-
ment Rogers stood irresolute. His first
impulse was to run; but his better judg-
ment told him that it he did so, and
should he be pursued by the grizzly, es-
cape would be impossible. Dreadful as
was the alternative of facing his terri
bic enemy, It was his only hope, and
Rogers resolved to stand his ground and
sell his life as dearly as possible.


There was chance that the grizzly
might not attack him if be retained a
bold attitude; but whatever hopes Rog-
ers builded upon that foundation were
speedily dispelled by the bear giving
low growl, dropping his mutton and ad-
vancing toward him. The hunters heart
leaped in his throat, and then with every
muscle and nerve drew to its utmost ten
sion, he awaited the onset of the beast
with as much GOODNESS as though his life
were not at stake in the unequal contest.
AS the grizzly slowly advanced toward
him, and got within distance of about
fifteen steps, Roger threw his rifle to his
shoulder and with steady aim planted a
bullet in the bears breast, just inside the
point of the right shoulder. The animal
was hit hard, but no sixty-to. the pound
bullet ever stopped grizzly. With q
growl resembling roar, the inturiated
beast rushed to the attack. Throwing
aside the now useless rife, and drawing
his knife, Rogers braced himself for the
death struggle. As the shaggy monster
reared upon its launches, its great, black,
convex head towering two feet above Rog-
ers, the latter involuntarily threw up his
left arm like pugilist on guard. The
bear seized the arm in his mouth, and,
throwing its great paws over the shoul-
ders of the hunter hugged him in an en-
brace that forced his eyes from their
sockets and the blood from his nostrils.


Rogers right arm was free, and he
drove the long, keen blade of his knife
to the hilt in the side of the grizzly close
to the shoulder. The blade reached vi
tai point, in1ic ing fatal wound, but the
immediate effect was only to intensif
the grizzly's ferociety. It hugged Rog-
gers the closer, its long, sharp, chisel-
pointed claws tearing gaping wounds in
the hunters back while the bones of his
left arm were crushed and ground to pow
der in the bears vice-like jaws.


| Wild 1uifh tho orrcn- of l;n


Rogers piled his knife with the energy OF
desperation, driving it again and again
into the vitals Of the bear, literally cary
| ing it alive, while the latter, with claws
and teeth, lacerated its human foe most
frightfully. Itwas, indeed, struggle to
the death. Rogers, weak from the loss
| of blood and half delirious from pain,
now fought by intuition, having only q
vague consciousness that his life depend
ed on his killing the bear. The terrible
wounds of the grizzly began to tell upon
its vitality. Rogers senses we're not SO
dulled but that he knew that the grizzly
was gradually relaxing its hold, and the
ray Of hope the knowledge afforded stim-
| ulated him to renewed exertion with his
knife. The bear endevoring to support
itself, despite its wounds, wavered for
an instant, and then, with low moan
that sounded almost human in its express
sion of pain and dispair, toppled over,
dragging the man with it, the latter fall
ing partially beneath. Summoning all
his remaining strength, Rogers plunged
his knife into the grizzly's abdomen, the
hot life blood and viscera spouting full
| in his face.


The bear relinquished his hold, and
Rogers, torn, lacerated and bleeding,
crawled far enough away to escape being
rent to pieces by the terrible death strug
gle of the grizzly. Although victorious,
| Rogers condition was critical in the ex.
treme. He was mile and half from
home, so weak and faint that he could
hardly stand, and in danger of bleed
ing to death before he could