117 



CHAPTER XIV. 



Desperate encounter with a grizzly bear, and extraordinary instance of suffering.-— 

 Close contest. — A comical incident.— Cross Platte.— Canon camp.— Sage trees, — 

 Mountain sheep, and all about them.— Independence Rock ; why so called, and 

 description of it.— Devil's Gate.— Landscape scenery. 



The adventure recorded in the preceding chapter called forth the re- 

 hearsal of many thrilling stories of frightful encounter with tliat proud 

 monarch of the mountains, the grizzly bear. Two or three of these it may 

 not be uninteresting to transcribe. 



Several years since, an old trapper by the name of Glass, with his com- 

 panion, while on an excursion, came upon a large grizzly bear. 



Bruin, having received the salute of two rifle.-^, as usual, rushed towards 

 his uncivil assailants, who broke from him with all possible despatch. But 

 Glass, stumbling, fell prostrate in his flight, and before he could recover his 

 feet the infuriated beast was upon him. 



Now commenced a death-struggle. The pistols of the hunter were both 

 discharged in quick succession, — the ball of one entering the breast of his 

 antagonist, and that of the other grazing his back. 



Smarting and maddened by the pain of additional wounds, the bleeding 

 monster continued the conflict with the fury of desperation, — tearing from 

 the limbs and body of the unfortunate man large pieces of trembling flesh, 

 and lacerating him with the deep thrusts of his teeth and claws. 



Meanwdiile the sufferer maintained, with his butcher-knife, an obstinate 

 defence, though with fast waning effort and strength. Finally, enfeebled 

 by the loss of blood, and exhausted from the extraordinary exertions of a 

 desperate and unequal contest, he was unable to oppose further resis- 

 tance, and quietly resigned himself to his fate. 



The bear, too, with the thick blood oozing from his numerous wounds, 

 and faint from the many stabs among his veins and sinews, seemed 

 equally in favor of a suspension of hostilities ; and, extending himself 

 across the hunter's back, he remained motionless for two hours or 

 more. 



But now another enemy commences an assault upon his vitals — that 

 enemy is death. In vain is defensive eflbrt. In vain are all his struggles. 

 He fails by the hunter's side a lifeless corse. 



The setting sun had cast his lurid glare upon the ensanguined spot, as 

 the comrade of the miserable Glass ventured near to ascertain the result 

 of the fierce encounter. 



There lay the body of his deserted friend, stretched out, apparently life- 

 less and half-torn to pieces ; and, by its side, lay the carcase of that ene- 

 my, which had waged with it such murderous war, cold and stiffened in 

 deatli ! 



Now, doubly terrified at his loneliness, but still governed by sordid mo- 



