The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-12
The Cubs Each Picked Out Peccary Pounced On It


swinging paws and spring right for
of the peccary, for the big jaws
opened, and when they closed, cut the
peccary almost in two.
1T wasn't but few seconds before
the old bear had things pretty well
cleared up in front of her, but in the
meantime the drove had been tearing
fur and flesh to ribbons on her side
and back. AS soon as a space. was
cleared in front the old grizzly
changed her tactics, and, shaking off
the peccarieS as if they had been
clinging insects. rose uD on her hind
legs. She had a peccary in her paws
as she went up, but after one squeeze
| it was a dead peccary. Then the
grizzly dropped down on her four paws
again, gave a bound, was clear of her
enemies. and started off on clumsy,
but rapid gallop for the place where
her cubs had met their deaths.
Il thought the old bear was trying to
escape, and, while l haven't much love
for grizzlies. l wished the old lady good
luck, because of the plucky fight she
had put up. But ] misunderstood the
workings of her mind. Love for her
cubs had first led her to fight and it
was a lingering hope that she might in
some way aid her offsprings that caused
her desperate attempt TO shake herself
free from the drove. Up the little hill
she galloped until she reached the place
where the cubs had met their fate. Only
splashes of blood and little bits of fur
and flesh were left of the fat cubs. who
had been the pride of the fierce old
mothers heart. Tine grizzly knew that
the scattered bits of fur were the re-
mains of her pets, and paying no at
tention to the fast following peccaries
nosed about and smelt of the pieces.
Then she felt that her last hope was
gone, and giving a growl, which was
good deal of groan, again faced the
foe.
THE peccaries were looking for bat
tie; so was the bear. AS the drove ap-
preached the bear rose upon her hind
feet and then, as the line of vicious pigs
reached her, dropped down. She caught
a peccary under each of her front paws
as she fell and grabbed another in her
big jaws. That accounted for three of
her enemies. Then the speccaries came
swarming over her ripping and gnash-
ing and trying to pull her down. The
grizzly wasn't idle for the tenth of
second, but swung her big front paws
right and left and grabbing the pee
carries in vice-like jaws. shook them as
dog does a rat and tossed them over
the heads of the drove to lie twisting
and dying on the outskirts of the big !
fight.
The Death Struggle
IF that grizzly had been fighting
with her back against a rock l think
she would have won the fight, although
all hunters say no single animal can |
stand against drove of wild pigs. But |
while she was rendering an account of |
the peccaries in front those a the |
sides and rear were tearing her so that 1
the blood was running in streams from I
dozens of wounds. When the grizzly l
had cleared a space in front she whirled !
around and went for those who had /
been haraSsng her on the rear Snd /
sides. She made things hum in that !
direction. Every time she got a grip l
on a peccary with her jaw that peccary |
was as good as dead. and each blow
from her big paws went long way
towards accomplishing the same result |
The pigs were fighters, too. Several
times l. saw a peccary, who had evil
IDENTIFY been wounded to the death.
crawl up nearer the bear in order 10
give a final dig with his tusks before
he ended his last fight
'All of sudden three or four big
peccaries happened to spring at the
grizzly from the same side at the same
Instant The old fighter was evidently
weakened by loss of blood. for she
staggered and fell over. The enemy
thought she was done Tor and in they
rushed. They didn't appreciate the
staying powers of the bear. Two or
three were gathered in a deadly hug in
her front paws, her hind legs ripped
open their skins as If tearing gloves.
and her jaws went through skin, flesh
and bone whenever she fastened them
On one of her enemies. The grizzly was
making a desperate rally, and while
IN her back seemed better able to bring
nto play her superb fighting qualities.
All could see for the next few seconds
vas confused mass of grunting, rag
ng peccaries, with glimpses underneath
If lighting bundle of blood stained
brown fur. with teeth and claws work
ng at their utmost capacity. Then pee
AIRY after peccary rolled out of the
light, some with broken backs, others
With heads smashed like egg shells. and
till others with long disemboweling
Wounds where the grizziy'S = - --.-