The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-25

WuIudu SOuS, NEW IOTk anu LOu-
don.
Reproduced In this newspaper un.
der special arrangements with G. p
Putnam's Sons.
A grizzly bear will only fight II
wounded or cOrnered, or, at least,
hhe thinks himself cornered. II
q maI by accident stumbles onto
one close up, he Is almost GER
tain to be attacked, really more
from fear than from any other mo-
tive; exactly the same reason that
makes rattlesnake strike at a
passer-by.
have personally known of but
one instance of grizzly turning
on a hunter before bling wounded.
This happened to friend Of mine,
a California ranchman, who, with
two or three of his men, was fol
lowing bear that had carried of
one Of his sheep.
They got the bear into a cleft in
the mountain from which there was
no escape, and he suddenly charged
back through the line of his
pursuers, struck down one Of the
horsemen. seized the arm of the
man in his jaws and broke it as II
1t had been a pipe stem, and was
only killed after most lively fight
in which, by repeated charges, he
at one time drove every one of his
Rssailants off the field.
Early next morning we were over
at the elk carcass, and as we
expected, found that the grizzly had
eaten his Ali at 1t during the night
His tracks showed him to be an
immense fellow, and were so fresh
that we doubted If he had left
long before we arrived; and we
made up our minds to follow him
up and try to find his lair. The
bears that lived on these noun
fains had evidently been little dis
turbed; indeed. the Indians and
most Of the white hunters are rath
err chary of meddling with "Old
Ephraim," as the mountain men
style the grizzly. unless they get
him at disadvantage. for the
sport Is fraught with some danger
and but small profit.
My companion was skillful
tracker and we took up the trail at
once. For some distance it led
over the soft. yielding carpet OF
moss and pine needles and the
foot prints were quite easily made
out, although we could follow them
but slowly; for we had, of course
to keep a sharp lookout ahead and
around us as we walked noiseless
ly on in the somber half-light al
ways prevailing under the great
pine trees.
and every little sudden noise sent a
thrill through me as peered about
with each sense ON the alert.
After going a few hundred yards
hthe track turned off on a we'll
n beaten path made by the elk: the
woods were In many places cut up
by these game trails, which had
often become as distinct as ordin-
airy foot paths.
The beasts fot prints were per.
fectly plain in the dust, and he had
numbered along up the path until
near the middle of the hillside
where the ground broke away and
there were hollows and boulders
Here there had been a windfall, and
the dead trees lay among the living
~~Tho trail f,rpad ofT into tbo <oo
gled thicket, within which 1t was
almost certain we would find our
quarry. We could still follow the
tracks, by the slight scrapes of the
claws on the bark, or by the bent
or broken twigs: and we advanced
with nOiseless caution, slowly
climbing over the dead tree trunks
and upturned stumps, and not let.
ting branch rustic or catch on our
clothes.
When in the middle ofthe thicket
we crossed what was almost a
breastwork Of fallen logs. and Mer.
rifield. who was leading, passed by
the upright stem Of great pine,
AS soon as he was by 1t he sank
suddenly on one knee, turning hall
round. his face fairly aflame with
excitement; and as strobe past
him. with my rifle at the ready.
there. not 10 steps off. was the
great bear. slowly rising from his
bed among the young spruces.
He had heard us, but apparently
hardly knew exactly where or what
we were, for he reared up on his
launches sideways to us. Then he
saw us and dropped down again on
all tours. The shaggy hair on his
neck and. shoulders seemed to bris
tie as he turned toward us.
AS he sank down on his forefeet
had raised the rifle; his head was
bent slightly down. and when l saw
the top of the white bead fairly be-
tween his small glittering, evil eyes
pulled trigger.
Half rising up, the huge beast fell
T FSSONST'