The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-22
DriftWcod
THE FALL OF THE MONARCH.
BY PHIL H. ARMsrRoNG.

oI shrubbery hung the dew as hshlis as tear.
 All nature was deathly still and far up in these vast solitudes it seemed an- other world--a world in which tne eommercialism of man had not found its seething, maddening way, where Wild brotherhood roamed free and un- molested, wing their simple ives- having their loves and hates. tnelr Vlc- tories and defeats all alone breathing Gods pure air. in the mighty Rockies. Thousands of feet below like an an- gry hissing serpent twisted as Tn agony the seething, erethic Colorado, twlning It's way at the feet of the venerable cliffs. The air was thin with Just blood cciirsing through the veins ana the fingers and ears tingling.
 Far overhead on the everlasting blue bald eagle was describing large. sweeping circles, pencIIlng his g1gan- tic form in silhouette against the light background.
 Suddenly there was a slight rustling Of some bushes and lightly as a cat approaching a mouse, a huge, brown mass of fur emerged into the opening,
 Big. ugly and ferocious he was, just beginning to glory in his great strength, His cunning, pig-like eyes shifted over the scene as one quite ac- customed to the luxuries of nature. In them was the acumen of second sight, sort of sixth sense possessed by all wild ones of the forest, backed up by wonderful power of scent.
 Ills inquisitive black nose was lifted in the air for a whiff of anything that might appeal to his unsuitable appetite. He had been on the trail for several days and had found nothing as yet but a little putrid salmon far below by the river.
 He shambled boldly out to the edge of the cliff scorning the caution of the more timid animals of the mountain who learned early in life to watch for an enemy at every turn constantly on the war-path to slay them.
 On the contrary, fear to him was an utter stranger. for since he had been weaned from his mother so long ago. he could scarcely remember. he had found it so easy to overcome every creature that he had ever known there was any living thing that could usurp his right as Monarch of the Rockies.
 Big Grizzly as he was familiarity known by the others of the mountain, looked. far out into the vast, opales- cent bluish haze and meditatively watched a red-taifed hawk as he rose aloft with luckless ck-rabbit-just another tragedy of the wild.
 What n picture of strength and pow CT he presented as he sat there for moment upon his massive launches. It seemed as though in truth verita- ble king were seated upon his throne.
 Seeming to tire of gazing into the deep ravtne Big Grizzly turned about slowly and heavily, sharpening his great c-~,ws upon the rocks for few HIOIltHlS~ men He TOSts SnDOh self, and with little short grunt. be- gan to llove away in search of food
 Turning back into the thickly settled timbers he bent down some bushes and bit off a few tiny berries that glis- tened in the sun-hardly a taste for so massive a creature-they only wheI- ted his appetite.
 Walking on little further he. sud- denly came upon scene of forest strife-a too venturesome cock part ridge lay kicking and struggling in the death agony, while over him gloat- ed his murderer, largo grey noun
 Before the hu1king power the man ner of the fox changed completely. Snarling with hatred eh slunk back into the bushes where from a safe posi- head. upon, his paws and shifting like a baby he yapped his disgust at the big purloiner of his meal.
 Srizz diaSo seemed t0 la1gn at the warm, soft body of the bird. crunched his tiny bones and once more started on his way with the old famil- far swinging gait.
 It was now well along in the morn ing and the keenness of hunting was full upon him. It was indeed a pleas ure to him to see how each wild thing shrank from him, Each. save one, and he alone viewed the big bears approach not only without fear but, in fact, with absolute indifference.
 the salty end of an old ax handle. the porcupine merely rustled his quills and probably grew little more com pact. Big Grizzly" veered to one side simply did not wish to provoke hostili- ties with a beast that was too stupid to know fear and whom Nature had so amply protected-besides he wasn't
 It was not often that his dignity suffered thus, for he was philosophical usually and chose not to see this one refractory subject in his domain.
 A venturesome evergreen branch brushed against his eye sharply and he crowned and snapped his anger. bold little wren flew dangerously near and the great jaws again snapped, whereupon, with frightened chirp, the little feathered songster flew away.
 Big Grizzly suddenly threw his licious whiff. The confding nostrils caught the unmistakable scent of fresh ly killed meat-goat.
 He lost no time in bending his course southward and in the direction of the new blood smell which grew more al- turing at every step.
 A few moments brought him to the scene of slaughter; guided by his un- erring instinct, he paused at the edge of the clearing, hestitating. He was hungry, and violating one of the most stringent laws of the Wild Brotherhood-that of precaution-he
 
 There on the ground near big boulder lay a freshly killed mountain goat
 Even on the threshold of the feast, that mysterious sixth sense-the feel ing of presence-that fairy godmother of all dwellers of the forest-strug- gled desperately to assert herself. With a vague restlessness, he threw, himself upon his haunches and anxiously tested the wind. The beguiling breezes waited back only the soft sweetness of the murmuring pines-and far from a n.- Fl1N IL. began to hurriedly gorge himself.
 Suddenly he felt a burning stinging pain in his right foreleg, accompanied oy thunderous report, That warm trickling own-and the pain-he could not understand it; 1t maddened him converting him into A frightened engine of destruction
 Now the gun used by the hunter half conc ealed in a nearby tree, was only an old-fashioned small bored mug gle loader, useful for killing deer, but worthless against so massive a brue as the bear unless hit in the heart or brain.
 this reckless Mexican, Big Pete, the dirtest renegade in the settlementg would have had the audacity to have come thu ssingle-handed to hunt Big Griggly."
 Depending upon the accuracy of his aim, thinking to slay the brute by hitting him in vital place the face of the hunter turned pale as he realized him. and he tried to climb higher into the half dead tree.
 Fearful of the awful consequences should he fall his uncertain move ments soon proved his undoing.
 Attempting to place his foot upon dead branch, 1t suddenly gave way and he fell with a crash to the ground The irate Monarch desired no better oppor- tunity of wreaking his vengeance and giving vent to his outraged feelings
 With a terrible growl that reVerbera- IL..la L Al. En hn h.,