The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-11-04


when we were at such a disadvantage.
Next day we went off on a long
tramp through the woods and along
the sides of the canyons. There were
plenty of berry bushes growing in
clusters; and all around these there
were fresh tracks of bear. But the
grizzly Is also a fesh-eater, and has a
great liking for carrion. On visiting
the place where Merrifield had killed
the black bear, we found that the griz-
lilies had been there before US, and had
utterly devoured the carcass, with can
nibal relish. Hardly scrap was left,
and we turned our steps toward where
lay the bull elk l had killed. 1t was
quite late in the afternoon when we
reached the place. A grizzly had evil
IDENTIFY been at tie carcass during the
preceding night, for his great foot
prints were in the ground all around
it. and the carcass itself was gnawed
and torn, and partially covered with
earth and leaves-for the grizzly has
a curious habit of burying all of his
prey that he does not at the moment
need. A great many ravens had been
feeding on the body, and they wheeled
about over the tree tops above us, ut
tering their barking croaks.
The forest was composed mainly OF
what are called ridge-pole pines, which
grow close together, and do not branch
out until the stems are thirty or forty
feet from the ground. Beneath these
trees we walked over carpet of pine
needles, upon which our moccasined
feet made no sound. The woods
seemed vast and lonely, and their 81
lence was broken now and then by the
strange noises always to be heard in
the great forests, and which seem to
mark the sad and everlasting unrest
of the wilderness. We climbed up
along the trunk Of dead tree which
had toppled over until its upper
branches struck in the limb crotch of
another, that thus supported it at an
angle halfway in Its fall. When
above the ground far enough to pre-
vent the bears smelling us, we sat still
to wait for his approach; until, In the
gathering gloom, we could no longer
see the sights Of our rifles, and could
but dimly make out the carcass of the
great elk.
It was useless to wait longer; and
we clambered down and stole out to
the edge Of the woods. The forest here
covered one side of steep, almost
canyon-like ravine, whose other side
was bare except Of rock and sage brush.
Once out from under the trees there
was still plenty of light, although the
sun had set, and we crossed over some
| fifty yards to the opposite hillside, and
| crouched down under bush to see II
/, perchance some animal might not also
leave the cover. To our right the ra
| vine sloped downward toward the val
ley Of the Bighorn River, and far on
its other side we could catch a glimpse
of the great main chain OF the Rockies,
| their snow peaks gllnting crimson In
the light OF the set sun. Again we
waited quietly in the growing dusk
until the pine trees In our front blend.
ed into one dark, frowning mass We
/ saw nothing; but the wild creatures Of
the forest had begun to stir abroad.
The owls booted dismally from the
tops OF the tall trees, and two or three
times q harsh wailing cry. probably the
voice OF some lynx or wolverine. arose
from the depths Of the woods. At last,
Is we were rising 10 leave, we heard
the sound Of the breaking OF q dead
stick, from the spot where we knew
the carcass lay. It was sharp, sud.
den noise, perfectly distinct from the
/ natural creaking and swapping Of the
branches; just such sound as would
be made by the tread Of some heavy
creature. "Oid Ephraim~ had come
back to the carcass n minute after
ward. listening with strained ears, we
heard him brush by some dry twigs.
It was entirely too dark togo In after
him: but we made up our minds that
on the morrow he should be ours.
Early next morning we were over at
the elk carcass, and, a. we expected,
found that The bear had eaten his I'll
| ct It during the night. His tracks
showed him tosbe m Immense fellow,
and were 70 fresh that we doubted II
he had left long before We arrived: and
we made up our minds to follow him
I up ana Try to ind his lair The bears
that lived on these mountains had evi-
dainty sbsen li4tie disturbed; indeed. the
Indians ana most Of the white hunters
are rather ehaxy Of eddling with
sold Ephta1zn." DC the mountain men
t~x-iST<l.Sc go 49, - IlSA havi,