Evening star., 1924-01-27
BY SAXTON PCY-I.


and arrow strikes most peo-
pie as so entirely absurd that
they laugh at the mention of it. The
mental picture of the puny little
archery implements Of their childhood
opposed TO the largest and most
ferocious beast Of the western world
produces merriment and incredulity.
Because II seemed so impossible, !
presume, this added to our determine :
tion to accomplish it. 1t was the
acme of our hunting desires.
In our plans to capture grizzlies
we took into consideration the pro-
clivity of this beast to attack. We
knew his speed was tremendous. He
is able to catch a horse or a dog on
the run. Therefore. il Is useless for
man to try to run away from him.
There is no such thing as being able
to climb tree IL the animal is at
close quarters One only stretches
himself out inviting evisceration in
the effort.
We decided If cornered either TO
dodge or to lie fiat and feign death.
We arrived at Ashton, the nearest
point to Yellowstone station on the
boundary Of the reservation that
could be reached by railroad in win
ter. near the last of May. The roads
beyond were blocked with snow, but,
by good fortune, we were taken in by
one OF the. first work trains entering
the region.
We had shipped ahead OF US a
quantity OF provisions and came out
fitted only with sleeping bags, extra
clothing and our archery equipment.
This latter consisted of two bows
apiece and a carrying case containing
144 broadheads. the finest assembly
OF bows and arrows since the battle
OF CycSy.
Young had one newly made bow
with an eighty-f1ve-pound pull and
his we'll tried companion of many
ntants, "Old Grizzly seventy Ave
pounds.
Ny own bows were seventy-ave
pounds apiece-"Old Horrible" my
favorite, a hard hitter and sweet to
shoot, and Bear Slayer" the fne-
grained, crooked -limbed stave with
which helped kill our first bear.
Our arrows were the usual three
eighths birch shafts. carefully Sc
lected, straight and true. Their heads
were tempered steel. as sharp as dag
gers. We had, of course, few
blunts and eagle arrows in the lot.
We began our hunts on foot, ex-
ploring Hayden valley. the Sour creek
region. Mount Washburn and the
headwaters Of Cascade creek.
At the end of the first week We
saw five grizzlies way off In the dis
tance at the head Of Hayden valley.
They were three or four miles from
us and evening was approaching, SO
we postponed our attack on them
Next morning, bright and early, we
were on the ground again, hoping to
see them. Sure enough, there they
were.
Ned. Art and We're together: my
brother and the judge were off scout
ing on the other side of the ridge.
It was about $50 o'clock in the morn
ing. The bears, four in number this
time were feeding In the grassy
marshland about three miles up the
valley. Ned's motto has always
been. when YOU see 'em, go and get
'em."
WE decided to attack Immediately.
the draws. up into the timber we
circled at a trot. II was hard going,
but we were pressed for time. At
last we came out on a wooded point
a quarter of a mile above the bears
and rested. We knew they were
about to finish their morning feeding
and go up into the forest to lie up
for the day. So we watched them in
seclusion.
We waxed our bowstrings and put
the finishing touches on our arrow
heads with Ale.
Slowly the bears mounted the foot
hills, heading for a large patch of
snow, where Frost thought they
would lie down to cool before enter
ing the woods. There was an old
female with three half-grown cubs
IN their third year, all looking big
enough for any museum group.
At last they settled down and began
to nuzzle the snow. The time had
come for action. We proposed to slip
down the little ravine at the edge of
the timber. cross the stream, ascend
tho S1iil on the opposite side, and come
up on our quarry over the crest. We
should then be within shooting distance.
The wind was right for this maneuver.
so we started at once.
Now as I write my muscles culver,
my heart thumps and I flush with a
strange feeling, thinking Of that mo-
ment. Like soldier before a battle,
we waded into an uncharted expert
ence. What does a man think Of as
he is about to enter his first grizzly
encounter? I remember we'll what
passed through my head: "Can we get
there without alarming the brutes?'
How close will they be-" Can we
hit themr" what will happen them"
Ned Frost, Young and I were to
sneak up on four healthy grizzlies in
the open, and pit our nerve against
theig savage reaction. Ned. had his