A Good Bear Story

Early in the fall of 1880 our regiment was ordered into the'field against hostile Indians, aud abont the beginning of October we wero encamped on Poplar creek, a tributary emptying into the Missouri from the north, about 60 miles distaut from Fort Bnford. Our instrnctions required ns to remaiu here.until f urther orders should be received, Snd duriug these few days that we lay idle in camp the men amused themselve8 in various ways, but principally by organizing short hunting expeditions into the surrounding country. Our chief of teamsters was Henry Morgan, a good all round shot and oue who had more than once brought down big game by nis skill. He started off alone one morning jnst as a mild blizzard began to fly and openly declared that when he returned he wonld bring an antelope or a deer back with him, and perhaps both. We saw him disappoar in the direction of Mili creek with his rifle over his shoulder, but the narrative of his subsoquent raovements is best told by himself: "I had gono perbaps three miles up the creek, and had as yot seen no signs of any wild animal, when all at once from behind a cottonwood log near a thick bnnch of underbrush a long eareó cottontail rabbit leaped nimbly into sight, and the next moment my shot laid him low. "I hurried over to the spot and was leaning over to examine the animal when I folt a crash as if the whole canyon had exploded, and as I tumbled over in the snow my fast departing senses recognized a huge silver tip bear, whose powerful paw had been the author of my mischief. "I lay there half stnnned and badly bruiscd, with jnst enough consciousness left to observe what was going on aronnd me. "Tho oíd bear nosed and rolled me about, and finally succeeded in pushiug and dragging me about 20 foet; theusho pushed me down into a washout of the creek bottom and pawed away until she had me almost covered with snow, brush and other trasli. I had now recovered my senses, but as I could easily breathe through the loóse pile that covered me I thought it safest to lie still and await the outcome. "Cómpleting my funeral arrangements, the bear walked abont and sniffed a few times suspiciously at the spot; then by the sound of her satisfied snarls and growls growing fainter and less distinet I knew that she was moving off. "When I considered she was f ar enough away, I sorambled out of the hole, shook myself clear of the trash and then looked around for my gun. "It was lyingsafe and little damaged near thö log where I killed the cottontail, but was somewhat scratched and ohokcd with snow. "I flrst cleaiifcd the piece out, placed it in good order and then went back to my invohiutary grave, where I ■ found the tracks made by bruin to be quiet distinet and widely separated, showing that the beaat had gone off down stream somewliat in a hurrr. I suspected the olfl monster would be back sooner or later; so, rearrauging the cavity and restoring the brush and trash as natnrally as possible, I retiréd to a safe position behind the cottouwood log, which had been the scène of my first disaster, and sat down to wait. "Perhaps thrce-quartersof an hour had passed when far down the open I saw the old mother with her cubs trotting merrily at her heels, making all haste up stream toward my place of concealment. I kept as still as death and scarcely breathed, bnt got my rifle into position and nervously waited until the trio should come within easy range. "On she came, rolling from side to gide, and then I saw that her object was the hole in which I had been so unceremoniously burit.i. "She hurried to the spot, growled something at the cubs; then all three, oubs and dam, began pawing and scratching the brush and trash aside and sending it in a perfect shower bebind them. Finally thehole was scooped out clean, and then the old one. evidently compreheuding that the promised dinner had escaped, lay back her head and howled her woes to heaven. "Thiij was my first oppui-tunity, and I fired with careinl aim, the lead striking her in the lower pnrt of the neck and causiug lier to pitch heavily forward. Bythe time I had placed a bulletin the fore shoulcli r of the largest cub the dam, witli a mighty howl, regained her f eet aud savagely boan to lick the wouixd of bw bleeding 11'spring. I was perfectly oooJ :.n'.v, and realizing that it was a of h'" nt death with mei took aiiothPT i -■■ !: ile the old one was poisod on ;:.■■ lui. ii legs mopping her owu wouiid a;id soit a bwllpt through lier beurt. The younger cnb got away iu the brnsli bef ore I was ready for it, bnt the largo one,whohad already been wouuded, 1 finished with another shot. "-