Port Tobacco Times, And Charles County Advertiser

AN ADVENTURE WITH A GRIZZLY.

In the summer of '50 I was working, with two partners, a claim on the North Fork of the American River, in California. Our lead, which had been a pretty good one, was running out, and we had been for some time discussing the propriety of leaving it and going "prospecting."
This movement I had opposed for some time, thinking that, as long as we could do reasonably well where we were, it would be bad policy to leave our claim, and roam over the country in search of better diggings. One evening, however, when the results of our united day's labor were declared to be five dollars, I came to the conclusion that perhaps we could not do better than make a little trip in the neighborhood for the purpose of prospecting. So, after a little discussion, (as, of course, it would not do for me to come round too suddenly,) it was decided that we should try the experiment the next morning.
The morning dawned, and after stowing away our surplus possessions in the tent, we took our picks and pans, with our blankets and several days' provisions, and separating, sallied in different directions. It was understood that we should return in three or four days to the tent and report progress. After travelling several hours, I sat down to rest during the heat of the day, intending to resume my journey in the afternoon. Stretched on my back under an oak, its cool shade and the stillness of the scene around me, soon calmed me to sleep.
When I awoke it was late in the afternoon, and I jumped up, somewhat alarmed, as I had intended making a camp some twenty miles off, my stopping place for that night. Re-adjusting my blankets on my back, I was about resuming my journey, when my attention was arrested by some singular looking foot-prints on the trail. Bending over, I examined them closely, and came to the conclusion they were those of a grizzly bear. As may be imagined, this discovery was anything but a pleasant one. I had never seen a grizzly, and was not particularly desirous of making the acquaintance of one, even armed; but now, with nothing but a pick, the thought was anything but enlivening. I had frequently ridiculed such of my friends as were in the habit of "lugging round" rifles, Colt's revolvers, &c., and laughed at the idea of encumbering one's self with such useless baggage. But, at the discovery of these tracks, my sentiments underwent an entire change. A whole armory would not have been an unwelcome companion to me then. On examining the tracks, I found that they led in the same direction in which I was going, and that, consequently, I stood a good chance of overtaking my four-footed friend, if I hurried; and if I loitered I would be obliged to spend the night alone in the mountains.
Moving along slowly, calculating the chances offered by either of those two plans, I did not observe that I was descending into a little ravine, through which a small stream ran, till I stood on the edge of the creek. I had worked long enough in the diggings to know some of the indications of the existence of the precious metal, and as soon as my attention was directed to the stream, I made up my mind that the dirt was worth "panning out," by way of trial, at once. All thought of the bear was gone. Gold was more potent than grizzly for the nonce, and hastily unslinging my blankets, I got out my pick and pan from my luggage and went to work. My success astonished me. Two ounces from the first pan and one from the second! Visions of immediate opulence swam before my eyes. Shall I own it? For a moment—only one—I hesitated whether I should go back to my partners, or retain the secret for my own benefit. By the time I had recovered my senses sufficiently to leave the bright visions of the future, and calmly consider my present condition, the sun was sinking behind the hills. Of course, I had no intention of going any further that night, as by leaving the location in the dark, I might fail to find it again; and I was in no humor to run any such risk.— I should have mentioned before that I was not travelling on any trail, but over the mountains, with no guide but by compass and the sun. On feeling in my pocket for my matches to light a fire, I found that I had neglected to bring them. Muttering a slight anathema on my folly in not carrying fire-arms, I munched a piece of hard bread for my supper, and laid down in my blankets for the night. I lay awake some time looking up into the heavens as the blue vault grew darker and darker, and the stars came out one by one. I remember thinking just as I went to sleep that it was the darkest night I had ever seen, and dreamt that I made several millions in the claim I had been prospecting, the whole of which I devoted to lighting the mines with gas.
It must have been midnight when I awoke. My throat was dry and parched, and I got up to quench my thirst at the stream. Bending over, I drank freely, and bathed my head in cold. I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me, and turned to see what it was. Maria Santissima! a huge black animal was standing on my blankets, devouring my provisions! I once had doubts in regard to the possibility of the human hair assuming under the influence of terror, the erect position asserted by the ghost of Mr. Hamlet's father—but they existed no longer. It seemed to me as if a whole forest stood upon my head! Now what was I to do? The slightest movement would attract the beast's notice, and the idea of furnishing him with a petit souper at my expense, was not at all to my liking. I stood in the bushes looking at the animal half an hour, when feeling somewhat fatigued, I thought I would try to sit down without attracting his attention. In the performance of this manoeuvre, a few briars and sharp sticks quite plainly notified me that my shirt was my only garment; a fact which the chilly night air would have made apparent but for my fright, which engrossed all my attention. By this time Mr. Bruin had composed himself to slumber in my blankets, and I could hear his deep and regular breathing distinctly. The night was so dark that I could hardly see him, but I came to the conclusion that he was not so large as some of whom I had heard stories related. He was quite large enough, however, in my estimation, to cut off your humble servant in the flower of his youth. Gold is powerful, but I would have given all that I had dreamed of making to have been quietly sleeping in some house or tent within the borders of civilization at that time.
In about an hour—it seemed a long week to me—my visitor got up and walked down to the water, where I heard him drinking, while I indulged in some pious wishes for his strangulation. I was then rejoiced to hear him plunge into the water and force his way through the bushes on the other side. Shivering, I crawled into my blankets again and tried to compose myself to sleep. No sooner had the drowsy god vouchsafed me the slightest wink of slumber, when splash went something in the water again, and the next moment the black form of my tormentor emerged from the bushes. I thought my hour come. Home, wife and children, all flitted before my eyes. No kind friends to break to my relatives the tidings of my untimely fate! No comforting assurances of Christian burial! But here, in the wilderness, my form must lie, the prey of the wild beast; and as my bones grew white with exposure and crumbled into dust, my friends, in the heart sickness of hope deferred, would vainly conjecture what had been my fate! Nearer and nearer the monster approached till at last he stood at my feet, when to my surprise he coolly laid his shaggy wet form across them on the top of my blanket. I hardly dared breathe, every muscle was rigid, and I lay momentarily expecting his attack. My feet grew numb with his weight, and the water from his hair soaked through the blankets and completely chilled me.
A thousand thoughts passed through my mind while the beast lay on my feet. Sometimes I thought that I could remain quiet till the morning, when he might get up and move off, leaving me unmolested. Then it would come into my mind that I had heard that a bear would not attack a man unless molested or very hungry. That he could not be in the latter condition, my hopes conjectured from his recent performances on my provisions, and as to my molesting him, no member of the Peace Society of half a century's standing could be less inclined for belligerent operations than I. Then again the thought would strike me that, as soon as the dawn of day revealed our position, I should be certain to make a breakfast for my unwelcome guest.
The night wore on. My limbs grew colder, and colder and my hopes grew less encouraging; still the brute slept. My bones ached with being kept so long in one position, and it seemed as if every moment were the last that I could hope to hold out without moving. The animal at last turned over, and gave me an opportunity of assuming a new position. But the relief was only temporary, I still remained in an agony of suspense. How I longed for the daylight? Even the knowledge that my fate was inevitable seemed preferable to this uncertainty. Once or twice I was tempted to move and put an end to the affair, but my fears prevented me. How slowly the night passed away! How I envied the beast on my feet! How false and hollow all the advantages of civilization and superiority in the scale of animal existence seemed in that hour of peril!
At last, morning came. Just as the gray light tinged the eastern sky, a whistle rang through the ravine. Bounding from my feet, the animal burst through the bushes. I rose slowly, with difficulty, on account of my benumbed limbs, and after thanking heaven for my deliverance, began to pack up my "traps," preparatory to moving on to the camp for provisions. I looked around to note the place, and "blazed" several trees. Just as I turned to leave, I heard a man shouting, and the next moment a tall, black-whiskered individual appeared.
"Stranger," said he, "have you seen a big, black St. Bernard dog come along this way"
I assured the gentleman that no such animal had passed me, and was turning away, being fearful of his discovering that I had been prospecting in the ravine.
"Well that's rather curious. He had my blankets strapped on him, and I had to sleep without 'em. Why see—here they are."
And so they were, in the bushes through which the dog must have passed.
A light broke in upon me. The next moment my surmise was confirmed by the sight of an immense black dog, that came bounding towards us. He was the largest dog I ever saw; and might well have been mistaken for a bear in the night.
"Rather a useful animal that," said I.
"Yes," said he, "he's good to pack; and at night he's equal to a half a dozen blankets. I have taught him to lie right across my feet. I missed him a good deal last night."
Bidding the owner of the dog good morning, I resumed my journey, and reached the camp in the afternoon. The dinner I then ate would have astonished a Comanche.
The next day I returned to the ravine.— The claim proved quite as rich as I had hoped, and a week afterwards myself and partners were working there. How successful we were, may be inferred from the fact, that I have never since gone "prospecting."