Show Adv Adventure with a Grizzly p BEING an ardent though not overly successful sportsman I often take long tramps with dog and gun in search of f game From my earliest recollections I have had an ambition ambition to kill a grizzly II My friends often told me that the best thing I could do was to let et it al always ays remain ambition However I thought differently and last fall in company with an old crony of mine I started out with this especial purpose in view We rode horseback with our traps and calamities securely strapped on two wiry pack Three days riding riding riding rid rid- ing brought us into the heart of one of the most awe inspiring wilds J have ever seen After looking around for a short time we found a little valley that made an ideal camping ground and after arranging arranging arranging ing things to our entire we we ate our supper and rolled into our ur blankets before the fire We were up and off before the sun had even tinted the highest peaks and hunted together for awhile After tramping tramping tramp tramp- ti ing for some time without seeing any any- 1 if t r r. r y 3 rF thing larger than a chicken or mountain hare we separated that we might beat beata a larger larger- tract of country and thus stand standa a better chance of meeting his royal p. p I was out most of the day but never once did I come in sight of bruin though all around I saw sa signs signs' of him Here under a massive ledge of rocks he had passed the night farther on he had sharpened his claws on a monarch pine and I saw great footmarks on the margin of a stream where he had taken a refreshing refreshing refreshing re re- freshing plunge or quenched his thirst This was very exasperating I hunted on however for some time with about the same success Finally getting thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- disgusted I started to retrace my steps shooting at everything I saw When I came in sight ight of camp I had a load of g game me and just two cartridges in my Winchester I had only one more zig zigzag zag descent to make and was walking along a ledge of rock right above bove camp I could look straight down and see the white tent gleaming through the trees at least two hundred feet below me It made me shudder even to think what a fall from where I stood would be I was just turning a corner in inthe the r rock ck to make my way down when right in front of me not more than forty yards away I saw my long sought for highly prized bear There he stood half as big as a mountain to my delighted eyes All his wild and r rugged strength impressed me a as and vividly as you may have been impressed by a forked gleam of lightening breaking from the starless void that shuts in a night N Not at stopping to to think of my situation I brought my gun into position in an instant His side was towards me and andI I aimed just back of the shoulder The b ball ll went true to its mark A roar that made my hair stand on end and a stream of blood told that he was hit hard But the way that monster wheeled 1 t J i l r j t b and came for me reminded me mo more e of a healthy young cyclone than a badly wounded animal ammal By the time he had covered half the distance between us I Iwas Iwas Iwas was ready with my mS' last cartridge I held fire till he was within ten yards then I let him have it No doubt I hit him but a blood curdling yell and an increase of speed were the only results I was now defenceless except for my large hunting knife Unconsciously I had backed to the the very edge of the cliff and when he was at arms arm's length I crouched holding my knife high in air As we closed I struck struck k at his hea heart with all the strength of despair but he knocked my arm down spinning me e around and hurling me into space Here was a situation I was saved from being torn to shreds only to tc meet meeta a horrible death on the cruel rocks below I was conscious all the while and I saw my life as in a glass I tell you I did some quick but very sincere repenting in those few moments I was nearing the ground with frightful rapidity rapidity rapidity rapid rapid- ity or rather the ground as fairly jumping up to meet me as if eager for the bloody feast Just before the end I closed my eyes but instead of being dashed out of all recognition I struck with terrific force my soft my-soft soft warm bed Opening my eyes to see what had happened I saw the first faint streaks of early dawn streaming through the tent door For some time I lay wondering if this was the first glimpse of the Great Unknown But a profound snore from the other roll of blankets told me plainer than words that the earth was still my place of abode and that it was high time to tobe tobe be up and off if we intended to do any anymore anymore more shooting We hunted in this neighborhood for several days and though other game were plentiful we did not see one bear And so although the main object of the outing was not accomplished we enjoyed enjoyed enjoyed en- en joyed wonderfully and on the way back to civilization agreed to hunt bear every year until our efforts should be crowned with success i- i C. C Darby Darb v. v s j |