Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-10
WAS A GREAT MULE.
THE GRIZZLY BEAR HAD NO CHANCE
FOR LIFE IN THE FIGHT


With Pete Man Could Travel Any
where and Need No Weapon Whatever
A sagacious Animal That Could Kick
with the Force of a Pile Driver.
| bought large iron gray pack mule
to carry my goods across the Sierra
Nevadas. | christened him Pete. The
day after we started we-Pete and L
came to nice grassy place. Itethered
Pete to tree, allowing him about
twenty feet range, and taking some
ham and crackers out of my haversack
sat down on fallen tree to eat them.
While munched the ham and crackers
Pete cropped the fresh grass, which
grew long and green. Suddenly he
reared up and snorted in manner that
very plainly said, ''Look out!"
l sprang to my feet, and it was quite
well did so, for it saved me from the
embrace of a very large, very hungry
and very ferocious grizzly bear, who
was standing erect and preparing to
throw his paws around me. l rushed
for the nearest tree and was up in it in
UuO w VI dill eye.
| was safe for the time being, but,
alas, poor Pete! The bear went about
things in a very cool and complacent
manner. could see by the expression
of his eyes that he was taking Petes
measure, for he cooked his head over on
one side and assumed an appearance of
great wisdom, as you have seen critics
look at picture.
Pete's behavior, much as | had al
ready learned of that remarkable ami
NAL, surprised me. When l was safe
his alarm disappeared altogether. He
dropped his head and began to nibble
the grass again. He went on with his
grazing just as if there were no such
thing as a grizzly bear in the world. He
would nip off the succulent green stems
and chew with great steadiness and
regularity, and occasionally l could
hear his contented snort as he struck an
unusually delicate bunch of grass.
PETE KEPT ON GRAZING.
The bear was as much astonished as
was. Evidently he considered such con-
duct without parallel, for he looked
harder than ever at Pete, then scratched
his head and tried to think out an an
swer to the problem. But Pete calmly
went on with his grazing and looked
neither to the right nor to the left, while
| sat in my tree and held my breath.
By and by the bear arose, made a
grand circuit around the tree in order
to watch Pete from every angle and
point. Getting no satisfaction out of
that mode of procedure he came over to
my tree and looked up at me for an an
swer. But | had none to give him
Between the bear and me we began to
think that Pete had lost his mind Per-
haps fright at the appearance of the
bear had so bereft him of reason that
he continued to eat grass through the
mere force Of habit.
Soon the grizzly's appetite overcame
his curiosity and he prepared for work.
He seemed to me to make critical ex-
animation of his destroying apparatus.
He stretched his front paws and slapped
the muscles of each with the other Evi-
IDENTIFY he was satisfied that he was in
good trim, for he showed his great teeth
with joy. He appeared satisfied that he
was fit to demolish a whole drove of
mules.
These things done, the bear gave the
signal for action. He opened his mouth
and emitted a series of growls which
made my flesh creep and my hair rise
under my hat
PETE STOPPED FOR A MINUTE.
Pete went on grazing. His counte-
nance expressed no proof that he had
heard the growing of the grizzly. The
latter dropped on all fours, with his
hungry mouth open and his great teeth
disclosed. Still Pete made no sign that
he either saw or heard, but confined his
attention strictly to the business of find
ing dinner. The bear, also having the
latter in view, rapidly approached until
he was in striking distance, and then,
rearing up, prepared to disembowel
Pete and break his neck with one blow.
Down came the outstretched paws, and
at that moment Pete seemed to become
aware for the first time of the presence
of the grizzly. He sprang forward, the
paws struck only the air and then l saw
a gray form double itself into ball and
bound upward. Out of that ball flew
two legs, which shot back and forth
with the rapidity of piston rods, going
thump, thump upon the body of the
grizzly. Up and down went the body
and back and forth went the two pile
drivers. The bear was struck all over,
on his head, on his shoulder, on his side,
on his paws. He fell in one direction
and then in another. He was kicked
into the air and pounded into the earth.
The breath was driven out of him and
life followed, and at length he lay upon
the ground shapeless mass, every bone
in his body broken, while Pete had qui-
etly returned to his interrupted grazing
without hair injured. Cour-
ier-Journal