The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-05-10
A COWARDLY GRIZZLY MOTHER.
She Deserts Her Cubs When Holly Pur-
sued by Hunters.

She Deserts Her Cubs When Holly Pur-
sued by Hunters.
After resting my horse a few minutes I
went on, and had not gone far when l saw
III the distance three black objects, which,
upon examination with my field glass,
took to be buffalOes lying quietly in the
grass upon the prairie. AS the wind was
blowing from me directly toward them
was obliged to make a long detOur to get
upon the opposite side, when met one OF
my Mexican hunters, who had discovered
and was going for the same animals was
in pursuit Of
We united our forces and advanced
within rife range, when the animals
jumped up, and to our establishment
proved to be a large grizzly bear with
two well grown cubs. The instant they
discovered us they all started off rapidly,
and we after them, at a speed which soon
brought us near enough to give shots, but
owing to the frantic plunging and surg
ing of our frightened horses, to say moth
ing of our own perturbation, neither OF
our shots took effect, and l doubt if even
Buffalo Bill, with all his mastery eques
1'ian adrOitness, and his skill in rifle
shooting, could, under the circumstances,
have made much better shots than ours.
AS we were obliged to stop and re-
Fiarge our long muZZle loading rifles, this
gave the bears time to get considerably
the start of us We, however, soon closed
tie gap, and gave another shot that in
fiicted a slight flesh wound upon the dam,
1T which she set up a vOciferOus growl
and plunged ahead, leaving her cubs be
hind. Giving q hasty direction for the
Mexican to attend to the cubs, l pushed
on after the Old one, which was at this
time a good deal in advance, and going at
her best speed, while the panic stricken
whelps were giving Utterance TO the most
plaintiYe cries, which We're heard by the
mother but she continued on, and my
horse put forth his utmost efforts for ut
least two miles before we came up with
her
In the meantime the cubs continued
their incessant cries, at which the dam
would occasionally turn round, sit up and
look back, but as soon as she saw me
coming she resumed her running, and
this was repeated several times, until I
came near her, and gailoped along for
some distance by her side. but even this
close proximity did not induce her to turn
upon me, or to make the slightest demon
stration of hostility
Her sole purpose was to escape, and to
effect this she deserted her offspring in
the most cowardly manner. When l had
satisfied my curiosity regarding her ag
gressive prOcliyities l gave her a shot
back OF the shoulder, Which caused her to
turn around and walk slowly back with
her head down, severely wounded, but
another shot in the head brought her to
the ground, and after taking off one of
her paws, as trophy. returned to camp,
where l found the Mexican, who had
lassoed the two cubs, and driven them
before his horse nearly five miles, while
they continued their piercing screams all
the way. Indeed, they kept up their
cries during the entire night, so that the
men got but little sleep and obliged US to
have them killed the next morning.
Gen. r. B. Marcy in Outing.