The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-19
STALKED BY
GRIZZLY
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.
By M. QUAD

urailst, mlneraloSlst ana geolOglsI
went up into the mountains of Mon
tana for professional work. and they
took with them as guide, cook and
hunter a well known character named
Tom Larsen. He had hunted grizzly
bears in old Mexico. New Mexico, Utah.
Idaho, Nevada and Montana. One
night by the campfire he told us the
following:
Down in the lowlands, where was
taking rest after a hard winter, a
millionaire from Boston, who had come
out on some railroad business and
brought an arsenal Of guns with him
to kin game, offered me $500 for the
pelt Of grizzly bear. The victim must
be big one, with fur in good condi-
ton and teeth and claws all right
AFTER reaching my hunting ground
1 spent two days cutting down trees
and building me a stout cabin. /
would make this cabin my headquar-
tiers and hunt the country for thirty
or forty miles around.
THE grizzly Is not a clean animal
he gives out bad odor. The cave
wherein one has passed the winter out
smells a Chicago sIaughtering house.
1t was the scent Of a grizzly that came
to my nostrils on the evening OF the
second day Of my arrival.
Il continued to scent that grizzly for
half an hour, but could not get sight
OF him. He circled around me three or
four times. and l am sure he came
within 100 feet Of me, and then he
moved away SO silently that not twig
rustled. Being tired out with my days
work. went to sleep at an early hour.
but along toward midnight awoke all
Of sudden and sat up on my bed Of
boughs. 1t was not so dark but that
made out an object sitting in the door
way which was not there when turn
ed In. A Whit of the rank odor reach
ed my nostrils, and 1 knew that that
object was Old Ephraim come back for
another look at me. l grabbed for my
gun, but he was of like q shot.
About 5 o'clock the next afternoon
as I sat smoking my pipe In the door
way that grizzly odor suddenly came
to me again. | arose to my feet and
looked carefully around me, but was
unable to see anything of bruin. Sud
denly he growled from the depths Of a
thlcket 1t seemed to me that he want
ed me to know that he was near. It
Was N srroxuI f,,1I ~ v,,ornno ona g. +.
moment / thought it would be follow
ed by his appearance, but he did not
show himself. When he moved away
it was as silently as on previous occa-
sions.
after my morning meal I went
down to little cove where had hob
bled the mules and my horse that they
might browse around and not stray too
far. l found them huddled together
and trembling In fear. They had
caught the smell of Old Ephraim, and
perhaps he had shown himself, but
why hadn't he inflicted an injury?
Here was prey, but he had passed It
by. As l struck away from the cove.
feeling mighty uncomfortable about
the actions of that bear, I determined
to be more than ever watchful for his
presence There was no breeze at all,
and we stood an even chance regarding
the scent question. walked as softly
as any Indian, and every minute or
two I halted to peer about me. After
two hours had neither seen nor heard
anything suspicious. Then took
rest against big bowlder and figured
that my enemy had dropped me for
good.
"The next minute l was gazing into
the eyes OF that old bear. He had been
hiding behind the bowlder and walked
out OF his hiding place an cool as you
please and like an old friend 1t was
q sudden joit for me. but did not lose
my nerve. MY rife was leaning against
the bowlder beside me, and reached
for It. but before could bring 1t up the
bear uttered a growl 30 full Of menace
and murder that IT gave me a chill. 1
desisted In my efforts and faced him
sQuarely. and the hard CLINT in his
eyes gradually softened. l dared not
move away, and he seemed to have
no desire to do 90 himself. how long
did we face each other7 Well, 1t might
have been three, Eve or ten minutes.
l did not have a watch to keep time on
It By and by found myself step
ping backward and then turning and
walking away.
ut was several good miles to my
cabin. and | am telling you that Old.
Ephriam followed in my footsteps all
the way. At any time during the Jour-
ney he could have fastened his teeth
and claws in me, but he made no at
tack. When ] reached the cabin he
turned away and was soon out OF
sight 1 sat down and called myself
a coward fifty times over. I had been
afraid % that grizzly and was still in
fear. He had acted so queerly that
was all unnerved.
Next day brought up the animals
from the cove and packed my outfit
on them and did not make camp again
until l was fifty miles away. l may
tell you that bruin followed me a good
ten miles on my journey. and when he
turned back had his been a human
face / might have detected a grin OF
satisfaction upon It.
Il had not yet pitched camp at the