Archie’s Adventure with a Grizzly.
On the following morning the boys, as usual, were up with the sun,
impatient to try their skill on the big game, with which the woods
abounded. The trapper, who, during his fight in the cave, had received
wounds that would have prostrated an ordinary man, was already
stirring, and, having attended to his mules, was moving about as
lively as ever, preparing the morning meal. In a few moments their
breakfast was cooked and eaten, and, after hanging their provisions on
the trees, out of reach of any wild beast that might find his way into
camp during their absence, they shouldered their rifles and followed
the trappers into the forest. Here they divided into two parties, Mr.
Winters going with old Bob, and the boys accompanying Dick.
“Now, youngsters,” said the latter almost in a whisper, “we haint
huntin’ squirrels. We’re arter bigger game. I don’t s’pose you keer
’bout tacklin’ a grizzly bar arter seein’ me pawed up the way I war
last night; so if you happen to come acrosst one of them varmints, you
needn’t mind shootin’ at him. Thar’s plenty other game, an’ what we
want to find now ar’ a big-horn. That’s an animal, I reckon, you never
seed. Go easy, now, ’cause they’ve got ears like a painter’s, an’
noses sharper nor hounds.”
So saying, the trapper led the way through a narrow ravine that lay
between two mountains, whose tops seemed to pierce the clouds. The
ravine, being thickly covered with bushes and logs, rendered their
progress slow and tedious, and the boys, who could not help thinking
what a fine hiding-place it would afford for a bear or panther, often
cast uneasy glances about them, and kept as close to the trapper as
possible. After they had gone about half a mile, the latter suddenly
stopped and said:
“If these yere trees could talk, a’most every one of ’em would have a
story to tell you ’bout me an’ ole Bill Lawson, ’cause we’ve often
come through this gully when it war chuck full of Comanches. You
’member I onct told you ’bout waitin’ at the ole bar’s hole fur him,
an’ that the ole feller had hid the black mustang in the bushes! Wal,
here’s the very spot.”
As the trapper spoke, he pushed his way into a dense thicket, and
showed the boys the sapling to which the old man had tied the horse.
“Wal, that ar’ animal,” continued Dick, “stood here fur two hours
quiet an’ still as a mouse, an’ we tuk him out an’ got safe off
without the varlets bein’ the wiser fur it. All the way through here
we could hear ’em talkin’ to each other, an’--Look thar, youngsters,
quick!”
Before the boys could look up to see what had attracted the trapper’s
attention, the sharp report of his rifle rung through the gully, and a
queer-looking animal come tumbling down the mountain, landing almost
at their feet. Far up above the tree tops they saw the remainder of
the flock bound over the rocks and disappear.
“That’s a sheep,” said the trapper, hastily reloading his rifle.
“He’ll make a fust rate dinner, an’, if we keep our eyes open, we may
get another.”
The game did bear a close resemblance to sheep, the only difference
being his enormous horns, which looked altogether too large and heavy
for so small an animal to carry. But the trapper did not allow them to
closely examine their prize, for he exclaimed:
“If we want more of ’em fellers, we mustn’t waste no time. But, fust,
we must separate, ’cause the further apart we get, the more likely we
are to have a shot at ’em. Are you afraid to stay here, little un?”
“Of course not,” replied Archie, quickly.
“Wal, then, keep your eyes up the mountain, an’ if you see ’em ag’in,
blaze away. Come on, Frank. I’ll show you whar to stand.”
The latter moved off with Dick, and Archie was left to himself. After
examining the game to his satisfaction, he took up a position where he
could obtain a good view of the side of the mountain, leaned back
against a tree, and impatiently waited for the re-appearance of the
big-horns. In front of him ran a deer path, hard and well-beaten as
any road. It was, no doubt, used as a highway by animals traveling
through the ravine; and Archie now and then directed his gaze up and
down the path, in hopes he might discover some game in that
direction.
He had remained in this position for nearly half an hour, when he
_did_ see an animal coming leisurely down the path, about fifty yards
from him. It was an enormous grizzly bear. It did not appear to have
determined upon any thing in particular, for it approached very
slowly, stopping every few feet to snuff the air, and finally seated
itself on its haunches, and proceeded to wash its paws and face, after
the manner of a house cat. Archie had a good view of it. It was nearly
as large as the one the trapper had killed in the cave, and the sight
of its powerful claws, and the frightful array of teeth it exhibited,
made the young hunter shudder. He had not been expecting so formidable
a visitor, and to say that he was frightened would but feebly express
his feelings. He had presence of mind enough, however, to move behind
his tree, out of sight; but still he could not remove his eyes from
the animal, neither could he determine upon any plan to extricate
himself from his unpleasant situation. The grizzly had not yet
discovered him, and Archie had his wits about him sufficiently to note
the fact, that what little wind there was, was blowing from the bear
toward himself. For fully five minutes--it seemed much longer to
Archie--the grizzly sat in the path, sometimes looking lazily about
him, and then licking his jaws like a dog that had just enjoyed a good
meal; and for the same length of time did the young hunter remain
behind his tree watching his movements, and wondering what course he
could pursue to rid himself of his dangerous neighbor. It was not at
all probable that the bear would remain in that position until the
trapper returned. What if he should take it into his head to come
further down the path? Archie would certainly be discovered, for the
path run close by the tree, behind which he was concealed, and what
would the bear do then? It was something he did not like to think
about. He knew, from what he had heard the trapper say, that the
grizzly’s disposition is very different from that of the black bear.
The latter, unless rendered desperate by hunger, will generally take
to his heels at the sight of a human being; but the grizzly looks upon
all who invade his dominions as enemies, and believes in punishing
them accordingly.
These thoughts passed rapidly through Archie’s mind, and in a moment
more his resolve was taken. Keeping his eyes fastened on the bear, he
cautiously raised his hand above his head, and, to his joy, found that
he could easily reach the lowest limbs of the tree, and that they were
strong enough to sustain his weight. But it was not his intention to
leave the grizzly in peaceable possession of the field; for, as soon
as he had satisfied himself that he had found a way of escape, he
cocked his rifle and cautiously raised it to his shoulder. He was
trembling violently, but at length he succeeded in quieting his nerves
sufficiently to cover the bear’s head with the sight and pull the
trigger. The grizzly, however, arose to his feet just as Archie fired,
and the ball, instead of finding a lodgment in his brain, entered his
shoulder. It brought him to the ground, and Archie caught one glimpse
of him struggling in the path, and heard his growls of rage and pain,
as he dropped his rifle and swung himself into the lowest branches of
the tree.
It was evident that the bear meant to take ample revenge on him, for
Archie heard him coming up the path. But he knew that the grizzly
could not climb, and, after settling himself among the branches, he
looked down at his enemy in perfect security. The bear knew where he
had gone, for he ran directly to the foot of the tree, and, after
smelling at the rifle and pawing it out of his way, he began walking
up and down the path, all the while uttering those terrific growls,
that made the young hunter tremble.
At this moment Archie heard the report of a rifle far up the mountain,
which was quickly followed by another that sounded nearer. Then came a
crashing in the bushes, as the big-horns fled before the hunters, and
Archie heard his companions shouting to him:
“Look out, down there,” said Frank; “they’re running directly toward
you, Archie.”
“Keep your eyes open, youngster,” chimed in Dick. “Don’t let ’em go by
you.”
But Archie was not in a situation to intercept them, and he heard the
big-horns dash across the ravine and bound up the mountain on the
opposite side, closely followed by the dog, which barked fierce and
loud at every jump.
“Archie, why don’t you shoot?” again shouted Frank, his voice sounding
as though he was coming down the mountain.
“I can’t,” answered Archie. “Look out! Don’t come down here. I’m treed
by a grizzly.”
“By a grizzly?” repeated Frank, in astonishment. “Has he hurt you?”
“No,” shouted Archie, from his tree, “I am all right; but I hurt him,
I guess. Look out, Frank! he’s going toward you.”
This was a fact. The grizzly had stood perfectly still under the tree,
listening to the sounds of the chase, until, finding that he could not
reach Archie, he determined to revenge himself upon some one else. He
had not gone far before Useless, having overtaken and killed a
big-horn that his master had wounded, came up, and, discovering the
grizzly, instantly gave chase. The bear, maddened by the pain of his
wound, advanced with open mouth to meet him; but the dog, easily
eluding his attacks, kept him busy until the trapper arrived, and put
an end to the fight by shooting the bear through the head. Archie had
watched the struggle from his perch, and, seeing that the grizzly was
dead, he came down out of his tree, feeling very much relieved.
“You keerless feller!” exclaimed the trapper, “didn’t I tell you not
to mind shootin’ at a grizzly bar?”
By this time Frank had come up with a big-horn on his shoulder, and,
after having regained his rifle, Archie gave them an account of what
had transpired.
“Wal,” said the trapper, “it war keerless to go a foolin’ with a bar
that ar’ way. Now, you stay here, an’ I’ll go an’ get that big-horn
that Useless killed.”
The dog, as if understanding what was said, led his master to the
place where he had left the game. When the trapper returned, he
removed the skin of the grizzly, intending to cure it, and give it to
Archie to remember his “keerlessness by,” as he said. After which,
they shouldered their game and returned to camp.