Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-09-16


and eating in the aame breath, that the
milk would run from his nostriis.
/ We were soon obliged to get him cut
Of the house. He would haul every
blanket oil the bed, tear and chew the
pillows. worrying at one an Eour nj n
time, if rot discovered, and dragging
it clean out of doors, through the mud
and dirt. He would climb the table
legs and getting hold of the oil-cloth
cover with his teeth, pull and swing at
it. till he hauled it with everything on
il Off on the floor. Go to catch him in
these freaks, and he would fly at US,
growing with all the venom of tiger;
striking at US with his nails, and biting
right and left; yet he would be froiick-
ing ard playing again next moment.
We now made for Cub high pen of
adobe, at the end of the house. outside,
and put him liz it, He whined and
mOaned in there for a number of days.
The first evening, he felt SO badly
that We took him in for an hour or two.
But when Ed went to catch him TO put
him back, the little savage bit his leg
through his pants, SO that it bled for
some time; and he also nipped my
thumb.
He grew quite fast. BY June, l
should say that he would have weighed
seventvtive pounds. He was not so
playful now. but more sluggish and
sullen; and looked moro like a bear,
and less like puppy. On first getting
him. We had our doubts about its being
u bear cub. thinking it might he some
prank of Lope's; and even now would
not dare say that it vas bona .fae
grizzly bear; for l never saw any other
young grizzly. dead or alive. Cub had
coarse brown gray hair; and l have
been told that young grizzly bears in
Washington Territory are light gray.
But this one was sent us for Il grizzly.
These bears are said not to get their
full growth under six years of age.
We kept Cub only that season-as |
shall relate.
Although he did not now play as at
first, we yet had q good deal of sport
with him. We began to catch prairie
dogs in steel rat-trap. to throw to him
in his pen.
There was a tract of as much as
twenty acres of their holes on some
rising ground, not more than half
mile back from tho Cimmaron River.
About every twentieth hole here would
have high mound built up for
watchtower. This was the king"
dogs hole as it is called.
These king dogs. or " captains, are
larger than the rest. When we would
catch one of the king dogs to put iu to
Cub. there would be a tussle; for these
prairie dogs. especially an old king,
will bite savsgely. Sometimes one
would drive Cub for awhile, till his
bear temper was reused. | have seen
them bite his nose or lip so sharply that
he would run growing Off into the
corner Of his pen, and sit and lick it
ten minutes before bis courage came
again. l used sometimes to think it
was cruel, and l think so now; but all
such pets, argued, must be fed.
This sort of diet agreed with Cub.
He grew long, and his hair shone. We
had to give him hard knock, once in
a while. to keep him afraid of us.
In the river, opposite the house,
there was small island with patch of
chaparral on it. About the first of
Auguet, we took Cub over to this
island, and chained him to post set
among the bushes.
He had become SO large now that it
was not pleasant having him so near the
house. We made him good easy
collar OF leather, and got him strong
new chain, fifteen feet long. He
learned in u few days how to unwind it
if he got wound uf; aud he would take
it up in his mouth if it became tangled
! iu the bushes. or give ii a flip over them
with his paw.
When other stock came to our
place, they all wanted to SEQ the bear.
Many an otherwise dull hour WAS passed
I over on Cubs island-though the way
these fellows played with our pet was
J often not very pleasing TO us.
BY November. however, Cub had
, grown to bc rough playfellow. Who
ever played with him usually came off
the worse for it. Though not more
| than eleven months old, Cub was as
tonishingly strong, and quick, too,
/ though he seemed clumsy. His coat
remained OF the same gray brown color.
, One morning, shortly after. he pulled
. the staple of his chain ont Of the post
| We were just turning out to get break
fast, and heard him wading through
the arm of the river between his island
and the shore.
"He will come to the house, l guess, ~
Ed said. So We went on with our
3 chores. Then. while after, looking
to see where he had gone. we espied
: him making up to the horses which
were picketed twenty or thirty rods
lower down the river. Stockmen out
there always ride.
! "You don, suppose he will me,id.
3 with the horses ?" E | said.
3 Bnt while we stood Watching. Gub
l ambled up, trailing his chain, behind
one of them. Tho pony attempted to
kick. Cub seizsd it round both its
] hind legs aud held on.
: Ed laughed.
Q Again the pony tried TO kick up,
l when Cab showed the animals legs
forward. causing il to fall back on its
launches. That done, he lot go, and
d.. leaping on the pony's back, dealt il
. somo tremendous blows with his paws
. pvny squealed-such squeal!
3 "That's something more than play "
t Ed exclaimed.
l We both ran to the rescue. l caught
: up an axe-helve, and Ed seized a stock
/, whip. When we came up, the horse
3 lay trembling, with the sweat starting
t cut all over its body. Cub was beating
D it, first one side. then the other.
. We struck him--Ei with his whip, l
4 with the axe. helve-at which he leaped
: off aud ran little way, then turned,
e growing, on US.
But We punished him so smartly that
+. he turned and ran again, first to the
8 house. then back to his hitching pos.
! on the island. There ne curled down
r and begged. He was again hitched up,
q securely this time, we thought.
: He knew he was rascal. Ever after
his affair with the pony, lie would never
D look us in the face, but always keep
8 his eyes down on one side. When any
J., stranger came near him, often watched
J.. his eyes. He would not look directly
1 at the person, but could tell by the