Year: 1867

The following amusing adventure is from
Colonel Marcy's Thirty Years of Army
Life on the Border ~


A naval officer, many years ago. made the
experiment of hunting with the lasso. but his
success was by no means decisive. The off
Ger had, it appeared, by constant practice
upon the ship, while making the long and
tiresome voyage round the Horn. acquired
very considera Die proficiency in the use of
the lasso, and was able, at twenty or thirty
PAGES. to throw the moose over the head of the
negro cook at almost every cast. So confident
had he become in his skill that. on his arrival
upon the coast Of Southern California, he
employed guide. and. mounted upon a well
trained horse, with his lasso properly coiled
and ready for use, he one morning set out for
the mountains, with the firm resolve of bag
ging few grizzlies before night. lie had
not been out II great while before he encoun
tered one of the largest specimens of the
mighty beast, whose terrific aspect amazed
him not a little but, as he had come out
with firm determination to capture a
grizzly. in direct opposition to the advice of
his guide, he resolved to show him that he
was equal to the occasion. Accordingly he
seized his lasso, and riding up near the ami
NAL, gave it several rapid whirls above his
head in the most artistic manner, and sent
the moose directly over the bears neck at the
very first cast but the animal instead Of
taking to his heels and endeavoring to run
away, as he had anticipated, very deliberate
ly sat up on his launches, facing his adver
sarv, and commenced making very careful
examination of the rope.


He turned his head from enc side to the
Otb ho - n L.,
paws and scrutinized' it very closely, as if it
was something he could not comprehend In
the meantime the officer had turned his horse
in the opposite direction, and commenced
applying the rowels to his side most vigor.
ously, with the confident expectation that he
was to choke the bear to death and drag him
off in triumph but, to his astonishment, the
horse, with his utmost efforts, did not seem
to advance. The great strain upon the lasso.
however, began to choke the bear 50 much
that be soon became enraged, and gave the
rope several violent slaps, first with one paw
and then with the other; and finding that
this did not relieve him, he seized the lasso
with both paws and commenced pulling it in
hand over hand or rather paw over paw, and
bringing with it the horse and rider that
were attached to the opposite extremity. The
officer red0ubed the application of both whip
and spur, bat it was all of no avail-he had
evidently .' caught Tartar, and in spite Of
all the efforts of his horse he recoiled rather
than advanced. In this intensely exciting
and critical iuncture he cast hasty glance to
the rear, and to his horror found himself
steadily backing towards the frightful mons
ter. who sat up with his eyes glaring like
balls of fire, his huge mouth wide open and
frothing with rage, and sending forth the
for the first time, felt seriously alarmed, and
cried out vocferously for the guide to come
to his rescue The latter responded promptly,
rode up cut the lasso, and extricated the am
ateur gentleman from his periious position.
He was much reioiced at his escape, and, in
reply to an inquiry of the guide as 70 whether
he desired to continue the hunt, he said it
was getting so late that he believed he would
capture no more grizzlies that day.