A COLORADO BEAR-HUNT 



zine the bear had dropped the limp Biggs, and, battling with the 

 remainder of the pack, had rolled out of sight over the ledge 

 below. The whole affair occupied but a few moments, and out- 

 side of the blood-stained snow the only relic left from the fray 

 was the temporarily disabled bulldog. 



We hurried down over the ledge, but when we reached the 

 slope below the bear had shaken off its tormentors in rolling 

 down among the rocks and logs, and had gained quite a lead. 

 I had a momentary glimpse of its black hind-quarters as it 

 scrambled up through the brush one hundred and twenty-five 

 yards above, and blazed away once into the swaying bushes. 

 That was the last I saw of this particular bear. Gaining a 

 steadily increasing lead on the discouraged pack, it climbed 

 to the rim of the caiion, and was given quite a run over the mesa 

 by the cook on horseback. It then descended again into the 

 depths, and eventually lost its pursuers among the ledges and 

 cliffs toward the Gunnison. 



About three o'clock we collected our scattered forces and 

 started toward the cabin. Several of the hounds bore scars, 

 scratches, and other evidences of rough usage, but the un- 

 fortunate Biggs had been bitten clear through the face by the 

 bear, and had lost the sight of one eye. He moped around the 

 cabin for several days with head and face swelled to twice their 

 normal size, but after that followed the horses during the day, 

 and was as active and eager as ever for a fight. But any 

 beauty of features that he might possibly have possessed before 

 the encounter had disappeared. 



The evening of this chase C. M. Taintor, who had come West 

 several days later than Fuguet and I, rode up to the cabin under 

 the guidance of the elder Carpenter and joined our party. 

 Carpenter and one of his sons started for Cebolla early the next 

 morning, while the remainder of us picked up the abandoned 

 trail of the bear and followed it to where the frightened beast 

 had attempted to swim the deep, swift Gunnison. Whether 

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