hunting the grisly and other sketches-第7章

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instead。　The　hole　is　sometimes　in　a　slight　hillock　in　a　river　bottom
but　more　often　on　a　hill…side；　and　may　be　either　shallow　or　deep。　In
the　mountains　it　is　generally　a　natural　cave　in　the　rock；　but　among
the　foothills　and　on　the　plains　the　bear　usually　has　to　take　some
hollow　or　opening；　and　then　fashion　it　into　a　burrow　to　his　liking
with　his　big　digging　claws。

Before　the　cold　weather　sets　in　the　bear　begins　to　grow　restless；　and
to　roam　about　seeking　for　a　good　place　in　which　to　hole　up。　One　will
often　try　and　abandon　several　caves　or　partially　dug…out　burrows　in
succession　before　finding　a　place　to　its　taste。　It　always　endeavors　to
choose　a　spot　where　there　is　little　chance　of　discovery　or
molestation；　taking　great　care　to　avoid　leaving　too　evident　trace　of
its　work。　Hence　it　is　not　often　that　the　dens　are　found。

Once　in　its　den　the　bear　passes　the　cold　months　in　lethargic　sleep；
yet；　in　all　but　the　coldest　weather；　and　sometimes　even　then；　its
slumber　is　but　light；　and　if　disturbed　it　will　promptly　leave　its　den；
prepared　for　fight　or　flight　as　the　occasion　may　require。　Many　times
when　a　hunter　has　stumbled　on　the　winter　resting…place　of　a　bear　and
has　left　it；　as　he　thought；　without　his　presence　being　discovered；　he
has　returned　only　to　find　that　the　crafty　old　fellow　was　aware　of　the
danger　all　the　time；　and　sneaked　off　as　soon　as　the　coast　was　clear。
But　in　very　cold　weather　hibernating　bears　can　hardly　be　wakened　from
their　torpid　lethargy。

The　length　of　time　a　bear　stays　in　its　den　depends　of　course　upon　the
severity　of　the　season　and　the　latitude　and　altitude　of　the　country。
In　the　northernmost　and　coldest　regions　all　the　bears　hole　up；　and
spend　half　the　year　in　a　state　of　lethargy；　whereas　in　the　south　only
the　she's　with　young　and　the　fat　he…bears　retire　for　the　sleep；　and
these　but　for　a　few　weeks；　and　only　if　the　season　is　severe。

When　the　bear　first　leaves　its　den　the　fur　is　in　very　fine　order；　but
it　speedily　becomes　thin　and　poor；　and　does　not　recover　its　condition
until　the　fall。　Sometimes　the　bear　does　not　betray　any　great　hunger
for　a　few　days　after　its　appearance；　but　in　a　short　while　it　becomes
ravenous。　During　the　early　spring；　when　the　woods　are　still　entirely
barren　and　lifeless；　while　the　snow　yet　lies　in　deep　drifts；　the　bear；
hungry　brute；　both　maddened　and　weakened　by　long　fasting；　is　more　of　a
flesh　eater　than　at　any　other　time。　It　is　at　this　period　that　it　is
most　apt　to　turn　true　beast　of　prey；　and　show　its　prowess　either　at
the　expense　of　the　wild　game；　or　of　the　flocks　of　the　settler　and　the
herds　of　the　ranchman。　Bears　are　very　capricious　in　this　respect；
however。　Some　are　confirmed　game；　and　cattle…killers；　others　are　not；
while　yet　others　either　are　or　are　not　accordingly　as　the　freak　seizes
them；　and　their　ravages　vary　almost　unaccountably；　both　with　the
season　and　the　locality。

Throughout　1889；　for　instance；　no　cattle；　so　far　as　I　heard；　were
killed　by　bears　anywhere　near　my　range　on　the　Little　Missouri　in
western　Dakota；　yet　I　happened　to　know　that　during　that　same　season
the　ravages　of　the　bears　among　the　herds　of　the　cowmen　in　the　Big　Hole
Basin；　in　western　Montana；　were　very　destructive。

In　the　spring　and　early　summer　of　1888；　the　bears　killed　no　cattle
near　my　ranch；　but　in　the　late　summer　and　early　fall　of　that　year　a
big　bear；　which　we　well　knew　by　its　tracks；　suddenly　took　to　cattle…
killing。　This　was　a　brute　which　had　its　headquarters　on　some　very
large　brush　bottoms　a　dozen　miles　below　my　ranch　house；　and　which
ranged　to　and　fro　across　the　broken　country　flanking　the　river　on　each
side。　It　began　just　before　berry　time；　but　continued　its　career　of
destruction　long　after　the　wild　plums　and　even　buffalo　berries　had
ripened。　I　think　that　what　started　it　was　a　feast　on　a　cow　which　had
mired　and　died　in　the　bed　of　the　creek；　at　least　it　was　not　until
after　we　found　that　it　had　been　feeding　at　the　carcass　and　had　eaten
every　scrap；　that　we　discovered　traces　of　its　ravages　among　the
livestock。　It　seemed　to　attack　the　animals　wholly　regardless　of　their
size　and　strength；　its　victims　including　a　large　bull　and　a　beef
steer；　as　well　as　cows；　yearlings；　and　gaunt；　weak　trail　〃doughgies；〃
which　had　been　brought　in　very　late　by　a　Texas　cow…outfitfor　that
year　several　herds　were　driven　up　from　the　overstocked；　eaten…out；　and
drought…stricken　ranges　of　the　far　south。　Judging　from　the　signs；　the
crafty　old　grisly；　as　cunning　as　he　was　ferocious；　usually　lay　in　wait
for　the　cattle　when　they　came　down　to　water；　choosing　some　thicket　of
dense　underbrush　and　twisted　cottonwoods；　through　which　they　had　to
pass　before　reaching　the　sand　banks　on　the　river's　brink。　Sometimes　he
pounced　on　them　as　they　fed　through　the　thick；　low　cover　of　the
bottoms；　where　an　assailant　could　either　lie　in　ambush　by　one　of　the
numerous　cattle　trails；　or　else　creep　unobserved　towards　some　browsing
beast。　When　within　a　few　feet　a　quick　rush　carried　him　fairly　on　the
terrified　quarry；　and　though　but　a　clumsy　animal　compared　to　the　great
cats；　the　grisly　is　far　quicker　than　one　would　imagine　from　viewing
his　ordinary　lumbering　gait。　In　one　or　two　instances　the　bear　had
apparently　grappled　with　his　victim　by　seizing　it　near　the　loins　and
striking　a　disabling　blow　over　the　small　of　the　back；　in　at　least　one
instance　he　had　jumped　on　the　animal's　head；　grasping　it　with　his
fore…paws；　while　with　his　fangs　he　tore　open　the　throat　or　crunched
the　neck　bone。　Some　of　his　victims　were　slain　far　from　the　river；　in
winding；　brushy　coulies　of　the　Bad　Lands；　where　the　broken　nature　of
the　ground　rendered　stalking　easy。　Several　of　the　ranchmen；　angered　at
their　losses；　hunted　their　foe　eagerly；　but　always　with　ill　success；
until　one　of　them　put　poison　in　a　carcass；　and　thus　at　last；　in
ignoble　fashion；　slew　the　cattle…killer。

Mr。　Clarence　King　informs　me　that　he　was　once　eye…witness　to　a　bear's
killing　a　steer；　in　California。　The　steer　was　in　a　small　pasture；　and
the　bear　climbed　over；　partly　breaking　down；　the　rails　which　barred
the　gateway。　The　steer　started　to　run；　but　the　grisly　overtook　it　in
four　or　five　bounds；　and　struck　it　a　tremendous　blow　on　the　flank　with
one　paw；　knocking　several　ribs　clear　away　from　the　spine；　and　killing
the　animal　outright　by　the　shock。

Horses　no　less　than　horned　cattle　at　times　fall　victims　to　this　great
bear；　which　usually　spring　on　them　from　the　edge　of　a　clearing　as　they
graze　in　some　mountain　pasture；　or　among　the　foot…hills；　and　there　is
no　other　animal　of　which　horses　seem　so　much　afraid。　Generally　the
bear；　whether　successful　or　unsuccessful　in　its　raids　on　cattle　and
horses；　comes　off　unscathed　from　the　struggle；　but　this　is　not　always
the　case；　and　it　has　much　respect　for　the　hoofs　or　horns　of　its
should…be　prey。　Some　horses　do　not　seem　to　know　how　to　fight　at　all；
but　others　are　both　quick　and　vicious；　and　prove　themselves　very
formidable　foes；　lashing　out　behind；　and　striking　with　their　fore…
hoofs。　I　have　elsewhere　given　an　instance　of　a　stallion　which　beat　off
a　bear；　breaking　its　jaw。

Quite　near　my　ranch；　once；　a　cowboy　in　my　employ　found　unmistakable
evidence　of　the　discomfiture　of　a　bear　by　a　long…horned　range　cow。　It
was　in　the　early　spring；　and　the　cow　with　her　new…born　calf　was　in　a
brush…bordered　valley。　The　footprints　in　the　damp　soil　were　very
plain；　and　showed　all　that　had　happened。　The　bear　had　evidently　come
out　of　the　bushes　with　a　rush；　probably　bent　merely　on　seizing　the
calf；　and　had　slowed　up　when　the　cow　instead　of　flying　faced　him。　He
had　then　begun　to　walk　round　his　expected　dinner　in　a　circle；　the　cow
fronting　him　and　moving　nervously　back　and　forth；　so　that　her　sharp
hoofs　cut　and　trampled　the　ground。　Finally　she　had　charged　savagely；
whereupon　the　bear　had　bolted；　and；　whether　frightened　at　the　charge；
or　at　the　approach　of　some　one；　he　had　not　returned。

The　grisly　is　even　fonder　of　sheep　and　pigs　than　is　its　smaller　black
brother。　Lurking　round　the　settler's　house　until　after　nightfall；　it
will　vault　into　the　fold　or　sty；　grasp　a　helpless；　bleating　fleece…
bearer；　or　a　shrieking；　struggling　member　of　the　bristly　brotherhood；
and　bundle　it　out　over　the　fence　to　its　death。　In　carrying　its　prey　a
bear　sometimes　holds　the　body　in　its　teeth；　walking　along　on　all…fours
and　dragging　it　as　a　wolf　does。　Sometimes；　however；　it　seizes　an
animal　in　its　forearms　or　in　one　of　them；　and　walks　awkwardly　on　three
legs　or　two；　adopting　this　method　in　lifting　and　pushing　the　body　over
rocks　and　down　timber。

When　a　grisly　can　get　at　domestic　animals　it　rarely　seeks　to　molest
game；　the　former　being　far　less　wary　and　more　helpless。　Its　heaviness
and　clumsiness　do　not　fit　it　well　for　a　life　of　rapine　against　shy
woodland　creatures。　Its　vast　strength　and　determined　temper；　however；
more　than　make　amends　for　lack　of　agility　in　the　actual　struggle　with
the　stricken　prey；　its　difficulty　lies　in　seizing；　not　in　killing；　the
game。　Hence；　when　a　grisly　does　take　to　game…killing；　it　is　likely　to
attack　bison；　moose；　and　elk；　it　is　rarely　able　to　catch　deer；　still
less　sheep　or　antelope。　In　fact　these　smaller　game　animals　often　show
but　little　dread　of　its　neighborhood；　and；　though　careful　not　to　let
it　come　too　near；　go　on　grazing　when　a　bear　is　in　full　sight。
Whitetail　deer　are　frequently　found　at　home　in　the　same　thicket　in
which　a　bear　has　its　den；　while　they　immediately　desert　the　temporary
abiding　place　of　a　wolf　or　cougar。　Nevertheless；　they　sometimes
presume　too　much　on　this　confidence。　A　couple　of　years　before　the
occurrence　of　the　feats　of　cattle…killing　mentioned　above　as　happening
near　my　ranch；　either　the　same　bear　that　figured　in　them；　or　another
of　similar　tastes；　took　to　game…hunting。　The　beast　lived　in　the　same
succession　of　huge　thickets　which　cover　for　two　or　three　miles　the
river　bottoms　and　the　mouths　of　the　inflowing　creeks；　and　he　suddenly
made　a　raid　on　the　whitetail　deer　which　were　plentiful　in　the　dense
cover。　The　shaggy；　clumsy　monster　was　cunning　enough　to　kill　several
of　these　knowing　creatures。　The　exact　course　of　procedure　I　never
could　find　out；　but　apparently　the　bear　laid　in　wait　beside　the　game
trails；　along　which　the　deer　wandered。

In　the　old　days　when　the　innumerable　bison　grazed　free　on　the　prairie；
the　grisly　sometimes　harassed　their　bands　as　it　now　does　the　herds　of
the　ranchman。　The　bison　was　the　most　easily　approached　of　all　game；
and　the　great　bear　could　often　get　near　some　outlying　straggler；　in
its　quest　after　stray　cows；　yearlings；　or　calves。　In　default　of　a
favorable　chance　to　make　a　prey　of　one　of　these　weaker　members　of　the
herds；　it　did　not　hesitate　to　attack　the　mighty　bulls　themselves；　and
perhaps　the　grandest　sights　which　it　was　ever　the　good　fortune　of　the
early　hunters　to　witness　was　one　of　these　rare　battles　between　a
hungry　grisly　and　a　powerful　buffalo　bull。　Nowadays；　however；　the　few
last　survivors　of　the　bison　are　vanishing　even　from　the　inaccessible
mountain　fastnesses　in　which　they　sought　a　final　refuge　from　their
destroyers。

At　present　the　wapiti　is　of　all　wild　game　that　which　is　most　likely　to
fall　a　victim　to　the　grisly；　when　the　big　bear　is　in　the　mood　to　turn
h