Year: 1873




Revolutionary history will remember the
tale of Old Puts" descent into a cave
to destroy ferocious wolf that had be-
come the scourge and terror Of the coun-
try round. The story of its accomplish
ment is one of the most interesting among
the numberless tales Of thrilling adven-
lures in those days. We now chronicle
the particulars of an exhibition of desper-
ute daring no whit interior to that dis
played by the revolutionary hero. About
two miles above Sturdvant's place, on
Trinity river, and about half a mile back
from the river there is bluf-rock about
one hundred feet high-almost perpen-
dicuar in ascent and fronting upon a
small fiat, known as Hay-press Flat.
There are number Of openings in the
rock, leading to caverns within


One day last week Mr.. John Day while
hunting, tracked a large bear into one of
these caves, but not being provided with
torch did not venture in. A day or
two after John Day and his uncle, Mr..
James l.. Day, having provided them
selves with torches undertook the perilous
task of boarding bruin in his den. The
opening through which the adventurous
hunters made their entrance was about
two and half or three feet high and
eighteen or twenty inches wide. SO small
in fact that the bear had undoubtedly
found considerable difficulty in squeezing
himself through, this being attested by
the hair adhering on all sides of the open
ing. From the entrance for about twenty
feet, was descent of about fifty or sixty
degrees, the rock opening out. Then for
ten feet or so, there was raise of about
three feet, the rock closing again so that it
was another tight squeeze to get through.
Then there was another descent for a
number of feet another widening of the
rock another contraction, and then an
other descent. AT this stage of their pro-
gress the hunters heard the bear stirring,
the sound indicating that he had abandon
ed his lair and sought refuge elsewhere.
Finally they found themselves in sort
of shallow shaft in the middle of a
cave, running back on one side, under
meath the way they came, and on the
other side extending still ahead. The
bear had made his bed in the middle
of the cave, but had left it, Our hunters
first examined the part on the side they
had travelled but found nothing there.
Their investigations on the other side
disclosed the fact that there was crevice
in the side Of the cavern in which their
object had slowed himself so as to be al
most concealed. But his whereabouts
was ascertaincd and our hunters had talk
en- too many chances already TO finch
and advanced Immediately upon the en-
emy. j. l.. Day held his rifle ready
cocked, while John Day flashed his torch
full in the eyes of the astonished animal.
Realizing that all avenues of escape were
shut off, bruin, with terrific growls, un-
dertook the offensive. Rushing toward
the foe, with the instinct of his kind, he
reared on his hind legs within two feet
of tho hunters. AT that moment j. L.
Day called to his nephew to raise his
torch so he could see the sights of his
gun. This was done and the light far
ing full on bruins orbs compelled him to
turn his head to one side. This was the
critical moment, and the senior Day i'm
proved it to discharge, with unerring aim,
the contents of his rifle just at the butt OF
bruins ear, and disjointed his neck. The
bear pitched forward in the agonies OF
death. The hunters were within his reach
and unable to escape. SO close were they
that in his dying throes they were caught
by his claws and could not help them
selves. Happily they were not injured.
of the earth and captured him, after tax
ing the most desperate chances, the next
thing that presented itself to Messrs.
Day was how to get him out. This they
finally accomplished, but not through
the way he went in. Among the numer-
Gus crevices in the rock they found one
that led into larger cave than the one
through which they had tracked the bear,
and SO they got him out. On reaching
daylight they learned that their prize
was full-grown cinnamon bear, Of four
hundred pounds weight. 1t is generally
known that next TO the genuine grizzly
bear, the cinnamon bear is the most dan
gerous and vicious, either when pursuing
or pursued. We doubt whether the des-
perate daring (or fool-hardiness, as nc
doubt some would be pleased to call it,
we have detailed is excelled by any hunt
ing adventure deliberately entered upon
anywhere. At any rate, Putnam's feat
is nowhere. Putnam's wolf and DAYS
bear were most unequal match, with
ten to one on the bear. Putnam was let
down with rope, and when he shot was
Immediately dragged out. With the
Days all depended on one shot. Had not
the bear been killed at the one shot, there
would have been a short struggle-the
lights extingushed and two men at the
mercy of a bloodthirsty, exasperated,
merciess brute.