The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1917-03-15
ST'I|'..Al.IKED BY
I a GRIZZLY
.Sb5 b N. QUAD
b NJ QUAD.
Copyright, 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

prQIesSlonll work, n they
took with them as guide, cook and
hunter q 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 II the low1ands, where 1 was
taking a rest after q hard winter, a
millionaire from Boston, who had come
out on some railroad business and
brought an arsenal Of guns with him
to kill game, offered me $500 for the
pelt Of a grizzly bear. The victim must
be a big one, with fur in good condi-
ton and teeth and claws all right.
AFTER reaching my hunting ground
/ spent two days cutting down trees
and building me a stout cabin. I
would make this cabin my headquar-
tiers and hunt the country for thirty
or forty miles around.
"Thel grizzly is not a clean animal.
He gives out a bad odor. The cave
wherein n has passed the winter out
smells q Chicago slaugitering house.
It 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 I could not get sight
Of him. He circled around me three or
four times. and / am sure he came
within 100 feet Of me, and then he
moved away SO silently that not a twig
rustled. Being tired out with my days
work, I went to sleep at an-early hour,
but along toward midnight l awoke all
OF a sudden and sat up on my bed Of
boughs. 1t was not SO dark but that 1
made out an object sitting in the door
way which was not there when I turn
ed in. A Whit of the rank odor reach.
ed my nostrils, and I knew that that
object was Old Ephraim come back for
another look at4me. | grabbed for my
gun, but he was off like a 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. I 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
thicket. It seemed to me that he want,
ed me to know that he was near Ii
was a growl full of menace, and for a
moment / thought it would be follow.
ed by his appearance, but he did not
show himself. When he moved away
1t was as silently as on previous occa.
sions.
after my morning meal l went
down to a little cove where I had hob.
bled the mules and my horse that they
might browse around and not stray toe
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 il
by. AS l struck away from the cove,
feeling mighty uncomfortable about
the actions of that bear. / determined
to be more than V e watchful for his
/ W Il lICiC Io piSCLC az IL
and.we stood an even chance regarding
the scent question. I walked as softly
as any Indian. and every minute OF
two l halted to peer about me. After
two hours l had neither seen nor heard
anything suspicious. Then | took a
rest against a big bowlder and figured
that my enemy had dropped me fol
good.
1.-THE next minute ] was gazing into
the eyes of that old bear. He had been
hiding behind the bowlder and walked
out Of his hiding place as cool as you
please and like an old friend. 1t was
a sudden jolt for me. but did not lose
my nerve. MY rife was leaning against
the bowlder beside me. and l reached
for it, but before | could bring it up the
bear uttered a growl SO full of menace
and murder that it gave me a chill. /
desisted in my efforts and faced him
squarely, and the hard CLINT in his
eyes gradually softened. | dared not
move away. and he seemed to have
no desire to do Sc himself. How long
did we face each other? Well. it might
have been three. five or ten minutes.
I did not have a watch to keep time on
it. By and by l 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. I sat down and called myself
a coward fifty times over. I had been
afraid of that grizzly and was still In
fear. He had acted so queerly that 1
was all unnerved.
Next day | brought up the animals
from the GOV and packed my outfit
on them and did not make camp again
until l was fifty. miles away. | may
tell you that bruin followed me a good
ten miles on my journey, and when he
turned back had his been a human
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