hunting the grisly and other sketches-第8节

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The　grisly　is　now　chiefly　a　beast　of　the　high　hills　and　heavy　timber；
but　this　is　merely　because　he　has　learned　that　he　must　rely　on　cover
to　guard　him　from　man；　and　has　forsaken　the　open　ground　accordingly。
In　old　days；　and　in　one　or　two　very　out…of…the…way　places　almost　to
the　present　time；　he　wandered　at　will　over　the　plains。　It　is　only　the
wariness　born　of　fear　which　nowadays　causes　him　to　cling　to　the　thick
brush　of　the　large　river…bottoms　throughout　the　plains　country。　When
there　were　no　rifle…bearing　hunters　in　the　land；　to　harass　him　and
make　him　afraid；　he　roved　thither　and　thither　at　will；　in　burly　self…
confidence。　Then　he　cared　little　for　cover；　unless　as　a　weather…break；
or　because　it　happened　to　contain　food　he　liked。　If　the　humor　seized
him　he　would　roam　for　days　over　the　rolling　or　broken　prairie；
searching　for　roots；　digging　up　gophers；　or　perhaps　following　the
great　buffalo　herds　either　to　prey　on　some　unwary　straggler　which　he
was　able　to　catch　at　a　disadvantage　in　a　washout；　or　else　to　feast　on
the　carcasses　of　those　which　died　by　accident。　Old　hunters；　survivors
of　the　long…vanished　ages　when　the　vast　herds　thronged　the　high　plains
and　were　followed　by　the　wild　red　tribes；　and　by　bands　of　whites　who
were　scarcely　less　savage；　have　told　me　that　they　often　met　bears
under　such　circumstances；　and　these　bears　were　accustomed　to　sleep　in
a　patch　of　rank　sage　bush；　in　the　niche　of　a　washout；　or　under　the　lee
of　a　boulder；　seeking　their　food　abroad　even　in　full　daylight。　The
bears　of　the　Upper　Missouri　basinwhich　were　so　light　in　color　that
the　early　explorers　often　alluded　to　them　as　gray　or　even　as　〃white〃
were　particularly　given　to　this　life　in　the　open。　To　this　day　that
close　kinsman　of　the　grisly　known　as　the　bear　of　the　barren　grounds
continues　to　lead　this　same　kind　of　life；　in　the　far　north。　My　friend
Mr。　Rockhill；　of　Maryland；　who　was　the　first　white　man　to　explore
eastern　Tibet；　describes　the　large；　grisly…like　bear　of　those　desolate
uplands　as　having　similar　habits。

However；　the　grisly　is　a　shrewd　beast　and　shows　the　usual　bear…like
capacity　for　adapting　himself　to　changed　conditions。　He　has　in　most
places　become　a　cover…haunting　animal；　sly　in　his　ways；　wary　to　a
degree　and　clinging　to　the　shelter　of　the　deepest　forests　in　the
mountains　and　of　the　most　tangled　thickets　in　the　plains。　Hence　he　has
held　his　own　far　better　than　such　game　as　the　bison　and　elk。　He　is
much　less　common　than　formerly；　but　he　is　still　to　be　found　throughout
most　of　his　former　range；　save　of　course　in　the　immediate　neighborhood
of　the　large　towns。

In　most　places　the　grisly　hibernates；　or　as　old　hunters　say　〃holes
up；〃　during　the　cold　season；　precisely　as　does　the　black　bear；　but　as
with　the　latter　species；　those　animals　which　live　farthest　south　spend
the　whole　year　abroad　in　mild　seasons。　The　grisly　rarely　chooses　that
favorite　den　of　his　little　black　brother；　a　hollow　tree　or　log；　for
his　winter　sleep；　seeking　or　making　some　cavernous　hole　in　the　ground
instead。　The　hole　is　sometimes　in　a　slight　hillock　in　a　river　bottom
but　more　often　on　a　hill…side；　and　may　be　either　shallow　or　deep。　In
the　mountains　it　is　generally　a　natural　cave　in　the　rock；　but　among
the　foothills　and　on　the　plains　the　bear　usually　has　to　take　some
hollow　or　opening；　and　then　fashion　it　into　a　burrow　to　his　liking
with　his　big　digging　claws。

Before　the　cold　weather　sets　in　the　bear　begins　to　grow　restless；　and
to　roam　about　seeking　for　a　good　place　in　which　to　hole　up。　One　will
often　try　and　abandon　several　caves　or　partially　dug…out　burrows　in
succession　before　finding　a　place　to　its　taste。　It　always　endeavors　to
choose　a　spot　where　there　is　little　chance　of　discovery　or
molestation；　taking　great　care　to　avoid　leaving　too　evident　trace　of
its　work。　Hence　it　is　not　often　that　the　dens　are　found。

Once　in　its　den　the　bear　passes　the　cold　months　in　lethargic　sleep；
yet；　in　all　but　the　coldest　weather；　and　sometimes　even　then；　its
slumber　is　but　light；　and　if　disturbed　it　will　promptly　leave　its　den；
prepared　for　fight　or　flight　as　the　occasion　may　require。　Many　times
when　a　hunter　has　stumbled　on　the　winter　resting…place　of　a　bear　and
has　left　it；　as　he　thought；　without　his　presence　being　discovered；　he
has　returned　only　to　find　that　the　crafty　old　fellow　was　aware　of　the
danger　all　the　time；　and　sneaked　off　as　soon　as　the　coast　was　clear。
But　in　very　cold　weather　hibernating　bears　can　hardly　be　wakened　from
their　torpid　lethargy。

The　length　of　time　a　bear　stays　in　its　den　depends　of　course　upon　the
severity　of　the　season　and　the　latitude　and　altitude　of　the　country。
In　the　northernmost　and　coldest　regions　all　the　bears　hole　up；　and
spend　half　the　year　in　a　state　of　lethargy；　whereas　in　the　south　only
the　she's　with　young　and　the　fat　he…bears　retire　for　the　sleep；　and
these　but　for　a　few　weeks；　and　only　if　the　season　is　severe。

When　the　bear　first　leaves　its　den　the　fur　is　in　very　fine　order；　but
it　speedily　becomes　thin　and　poor；　and　does　not　recover　its　condition
until　the　fall。　Sometimes　the　bear　does　not　betray　any　great　hunger
for　a　few　days　after　its　appearance；　but　in　a　short　while　it　becomes
ravenous。　During　the　early　spring；　when　the　woods　are　still　entirely
barren　and　lifeless；　while　the　snow　yet　lies　in　deep　drifts；　the　bear；
hungry　brute；　both　maddened　and　weakened　by　long　fasting；　is　more　of　a
flesh　eater　than　at　any　other　time。　It　is　at　this　period　that　it　is
most　apt　to　turn　true　beast　of　prey；　and　show　its　prowess　either　at
the　expense　of　the　wild　game；　or　of　the　flocks　of　the　settler　and　the
herds　of　the　ranchman。　Bears　are　very　capricious　in　this　respect；
however。　Some　are　confirmed　game；　and　cattle…killers；　others　are　not；
while　yet　others　either　are　or　are　not　accordingly　as　the　freak　seizes
them；　and　their　ravages　vary　almost　unaccountably；　both　with　the
season　and　the　locality。

Throughout　1889；　for　instance；　no　cattle；　so　far　as　I　heard；　were
killed　by　bears　anywhere　near　my　range　on　the　Little　Missouri　in
western　Dakota；　yet　I　happened　to　know　that　during　that　same　season
the　ravages　of　the　bears　among　the　herds　of　the　cowmen　in　the　Big　Hole
Basin；　in　western　Montana；　were　very　destructive。

In　the　spring　and　early　summer　of　1888；　the　bears　killed　no　cattle
near　my　ranch；　but　in　the　late　summer　and　early　fall　of　that　year　a
big　bear；　which　we　well　knew　by　its　tracks；　suddenly　took　to　cattle…
killing。　This　was　a　brute　which　had　its　headquarters　on　some　very
large　brush　bottoms　a　dozen　miles　below　my　ranch　house；　and　which
ranged　to　and　fro　across　the　broken　country　flanking　the　river　on　each
side。　It　began　just　before　berry　time；　but　continued　its　career　of
destruction　long　after　the　wild　plums　and　even　buffalo　berries　had
ripened。　I　think　that　what　started　it　was　a　feast　on　a　cow　which　had
mired　and　died　in　the　bed　of　the　creek；　at　least　it　was　not　until
after　we　found　that　it　had　been　feeding　at　the　carcass　and　had　eaten
every　scrap；　that　we　discovered　traces　of　its　ravages　among　the
livestock。　It　seemed　to　attack　the　animals　wholly　regardless　of　their
size　and　strength；　its　victims　including　a　large　bull　and　a　beef
steer；　as　well　as　cows；　yearlings；　and　gaunt；　weak　trail　〃doughgies；〃
which　had　been　brought　in　very　late　by　a　Texas　cow…outfitfor　that
year　several　herds　were　driven　up　from　the　overstocked；　eaten…out；　and
drought…stricken　ranges　of　the　far　south。　Judging　from　the　signs；　the
crafty　old　grisly；　as　cunning　as　he　was　ferocious；　usually　lay　in　wait
for　the　cattle　when　they　came　down　to　water；　choosing　some　thicket　of
dense　underbrush　and　twisted　cottonwoods；　through　which　they　had　to
pass　before　reaching　the　sand　banks　on　the　river's　brink。　Sometimes　he
pounced　on　them　as　they　fed　through　the　thick；　low　cover　of　the
bottoms；　where　an　assailant　could　either　lie　in　ambush　by　one　of　the
numerous　cattle　trails；　or　else　creep　unobserved　towards　some　browsing
beast。　When　within　a　few　feet　a　quick　rush　carried　him　fairly　on　the
terrified　quarry；　and　though　but　a　clumsy　animal　compared　to　the　great
cats；　the　grisly　is　far　quicker　than　one　would　imagine　from　viewing
his　ordinary　lumbering　gait。　In　one　or　two　instances　the　bear　had
apparently　grappled　with　his　victim　by　seizing　it　near　the　loins　and
striking　a　disabling　blow　over　the　small　of　the　back；　in　at　least　one
instance　he　had　jumped　on　the　animal's　head；　grasping　it　with　his
fore…paws；　while　with　his　fangs　he　tore　open　the　throat　or　crunched
the　neck　bone。　Some　of　his　victims　were　slain　far　from　the　river；　in
winding；　brushy　coulies　of　the　Bad　Lands；　where　the　broken　nature　of
the　ground　rendered　stalking　easy。　Several　of　the　ranchmen；　angered　at
their　losses；　hunted　their　foe　eagerly；　but　always　with　ill　success；
until　one　of　them　put　poison　in　a　carcass；　and　thus　at　last；　in
ignoble　fashion；　slew　the　cattle…killer。

Mr。　Clarence　King　informs　me　that　he　was　once　eye…witness　to　a　bear's
killing　a　steer；　in　California。　The　steer　was　in　a　small　pasture；　and
the　bear　climbed　over；　partly　breaking　down；　the　rails　which　barred
the　gateway。　The　steer　started　to　run；　but　the　grisly　overtook　it　in
four　or　five　bounds；　and　struck　it　a　tremendous