Description
William Bryam Pace and the Grizzly
In the summer of 1850, William Byram Pace, then 18-years-old, crossed the Trail to the Salt Lake Valley as part of his father’s company (James Pace Company). Though young, he was already an experienced hand, having marched with the Mormon Battalion in 1846 and crossed the Plains again in 1848 with President Brigham Young.
As the Pace Company proceeded west into what was called the Black Hills of Wyoming, William was appointed as a hunter for the Camp. It was his job to help supply the camp with fresh meat. One Sunday, William and a friend, Alex Sessions, decided they would go out early and kill an antelope for the camp for breakfast. By their own admission, they should have stayed in Camp for Sunday meetings, “but [their] boy zeal was too great.”
Off they went tramping over the hills, but by ten o’clock they had seen nothing. They decided to return to Camp. On the way, they passed by a ravine and a watering hole. After getting a drink they started back when William saw a fresh bear track. He said to Alex, “We had better get out of here.” No sooner had he said it than a large grizzly jumped off the cliff above them, landing within about six feet.
The boys took off running with the bear hot on their heels. The grizzly got close enough that William hit him repeatedly with the butt of his rifle. Somehow, they reached the open plain and the bear gave up the chase, leaving them as “two of the worst scared boys it was possible to find anywhere.”
When the boys arrived in Camp, they told their story, which some of the men criticized. One man in particular told the boys, “if he had been there he would have taken a butcher knife and carved [the bear] up.”
A little wounded by such attacks on his bravery, William noted: “It is strange how brave some men are, when there is no possible danger.”
Days later, the men of the Camp gathered for a buffalo hunt. With “mischief predominant” William persuaded the men to let him make the first assault on the herd. William soon wounded a bull, which then turned to fight. When the company came up William said that he insisted his:
“special friend have the honor of killing [the buffalo]. This was agreed to. I told him to walk up to within 20 feet of the bull and shoot him in the head. Well, he got within 30 yards and drew up to shoot, when the buffalo made a lunge for him. My friend dropped his gun and took to his heels, then the crowd had the bad taste to yell: “run”, “take your knife to him” etc. while the bull only made one jump and stood his ground, my friend ran 200 yards at breakneck speed without looking back. The bull was killed by one shot when the fun was over. I mention this to show that men who are so awful brave where there is no possible danger, will not always do to tie too.”
Be careful who you tie yourself to in these troubled times. Talk is still cheap. In regards to any and all who attempt to persuade you to turn your back on the Lord, His prophets, and His Church: know this, their words are as empty as their hearts and they are cowards on the run.
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