hunting the grisly and other sketches-第13章

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steadily　growing　torment　of　the　merciless　iron　jaws；　as　they　pressed
ever　deeper　into　the　sore　flesh　and　broken　bones。　But　if　caught　by　the
arms；　while　setting　or　fixing　the　trap；　his　fate　would　be　in　no　doubt
at　all；　for　it　would　be　impossible　for　the　stoutest　man　to　free
himself　by　any　means。　Terrible　stories　are　told　of　solitary　mountain
hunters　who　disappeared；　and　were　found　years　later　in　the　lonely
wilderness；　as　mouldering　skeletons；　the　shattered　bones　of　the
forearms　still　held　in　the　rusty　jaws　of　the　gin。

Doubtless　the　grisly　could　be　successfully　hunted　with　dogs；　if　the
latter　were　trained　to　the　purpose；　but　as　yet　this　has　not　been　done；
and　though　dogs　are　sometimes　used　as　adjuncts　in　grisly　hunting　they
are　rarely　of　much　service。　It　is　sometimes　said　that　very　small　dogs
are　the　best　for　this　end。　But　this　is　only　so　with　grislies　that　have
never　been　hunted。　In　such　a　case　the　big　bear　sometimes　becomes　so
irritated　with　the　bouncing；　yapping　little　terriers　or　fice…dogs　that
he　may　try　to　catch　them　and　thus　permit　the　hunter　to　creep　upon　him。
But　the　minute　he　realizes；　as　he　speedily　does；　that　the　man　is　his
real　foe；　he　pays　no　further　heed　whatever　to　the　little　dogs；　who　can
then　neither　bring　him　to　bay　nor　hinder　his　flight。　Ordinary　hounds；
of　the　kinds　used　in　the　south　for　fox；　deer；　wild…cat；　and　black
bear；　are　but　little　better。　I　have　known　one　or　two　men　who　at
different　times　tried　to　hunt　the　grisly　with　a　pack　of　hounds　and
fice…dogs　wonted　to　the　chase　of　the　black　bear；　but　they　never　met
with　success。　This　was　probably　largely　owing　to　the　nature　of　the
country　in　which　they　hunted；　a　vast　tangled　mass　of　forest　and　craggy
mountain；　but　it　was　also　due　to　the　utter　inability　of　the　dogs　to
stop　the　quarry　from　breaking　bay　when　it　wished。　Several　times　a
grisly　was　bayed；　but　always　in　some　inaccessible　spot　which　it　took
hard　climbing　to　reach；　and　the　dogs　were　never　able　to　hold　the　beast
until　the　hunters　came　up。

Still　a　well…trained　pack　of　large　hounds　which　were　both　bold　and
cunning　could　doubtless　bay　even　a　grisly。　Such　dogs　are　the　big　half…
breed　hounds　sometimes　used　in　the　Alleghanies　of　West　Virginia；　which
are　trained　not　merely　to　nip　a　bear；　but　to　grip　him　by　the　hock　as
he　runs　and　either　throw　him　or　twirl　him　round。　A　grisly　could　not
disregard　a　wary　and　powerful　hound　capable　of　performing　this　trick；
even　though　he　paid　small　heed　to　mere　barking　and　occasional　nipping。
Nor　do　I　doubt　that　it　would　be　possible　to　get　together　a　pack　of
many　large；　fierce　dogs；　trained　to　dash　straight　at　the　head　and　hold
on　like　a　vise；　which　could　fairly　master　a　grisly　and；　though　unable；
of　course；　to　kill　him；　would　worry　him　breathless　and　hold　him　down
so　that　he　could　be　slain　with　ease。　There　have　been　instances　in
which　five　or　six　of　the　big　so…called　blood…hounds　of　the　southern
Statesnot　pure　blood…hounds　at　all；　but　huge；　fierce；　ban…dogs；　with
a　cross　of　the　ferocious　Cuban　blood…hound；　to　give　them　good　scenting
powershave　by　themselves　mastered　the　cougar　and　the　black　bear。
Such　instances　occurred　in　the　hunting　history　of　my　own　forefathers
on　my　mother's　side；　who　during　the　last　half　of　the　eighteenth；　and
the　first　half　of　the　present；　century　lived　in　Georgia　and　over　the
border　in　what　are　now　Alabama　and　Florida。　These　big　dogs　can　only
overcome　such　foes　by　rushing　in　in　a　body　and　grappling　all　together；
if　they　hang　back；　lunging　and　snapping；　a　cougar　or　bear　will　destroy
them　one　by　one。　With　a　quarry　so　huge　and　redoubtable　as　the　grisly；
no　number　of　dogs；　however　large　and　fierce；　could　overcome　him　unless
they　all　rushed　on　him　in　a　mass；　the　first　in　the　charge　seizing　by
the　head　or　throat。　If　the　dogs　hung　back；　or　if　there　were　only　a　few
of　them；　or　if　they　did　not　seize　around　the　head；　they　would　be
destroyed　without　an　effort。　It　is　murder　to　slip　merely　one　or　two
close…quarter　dogs　at　a　grisly。　Twice　I　have　known　a　man　take　a　large
bulldog　with　his　pack　when　after　one　of　these　big　bears；　and　in　each
case　the　result　was　the　same。　In　one　instance　the　bear　was　trotting
when　the　bulldog　seized　it　by　the　cheek；　and　without　so　much　as
altering　its　gait；　it　brushed　off　the　hanging　dog　with　a　blow　from　the
fore…paw　that　broke　the　latter's　back。　In　the　other　instance　the　bear
had　come　to　bay；　and　when　seized　by　the　ear　it　got　the　dog's　body　up
to　its　jaws；　and　tore　out　the　life　with　one　crunch。

A　small　number　of　dogs　must　rely　on　their　activity；　and　must　hamper
the　bear's　escape　by　inflicting　a　severe　bite　and　avoiding　the
counter…stroke。　The　only　dog　I　ever　heard　of　which；　single…handed；　was
really　of　service　in　stopping　a　grisly；　was　a　big　Mexican　sheep…dog；
once　owned　by　the　hunter　Tazewell　Woody。　It　was　an　agile　beast　with
powerful　jaws；　and　possessed　both　intelligence　and　a　fierce；　resolute
temper。　Woody　killed　three　grislies　with　its　aid。　It　attacked　with
equal　caution　and　ferocity；　rushing　at　the　bear　as　the　latter　ran；　and
seizing　the　outstretched　hock　with　a　grip　of　iron；　stopping　the　bear
short；　but　letting　go　before　the　angry　beast　could　whirl　round　and
seize　it。　It　was　so　active　and　wary　that　it　always　escaped　damage；　and
it　was　so　strong　and　bit　so　severely　that　the　bear　could　not　possibly
run　from　it　at　any　speed。　In　consequence；　if　it　once　came　to　close
quarters　with　its　quarry；　Woody　could　always　get　near　enough　for　a
shot。

Hitherto；　however；　the　mountain　huntersas　distinguished　from　the
trapperswho　have　followed　the　grisly　have　relied　almost　solely　on
their　rifles。　In　my　own　case　about　half　the　bears　I　have　killed　I
stumbled　across　almost　by　accident；　and　probably　this　proportion　holds
good　generally。　The　hunter　may　be　after　bear　at　the　time；　or　he　may　be
after　blacktail　deer　or　elk；　the　common　game　in　most　of　the　haunts　of
the　grisly；　or　he　may　merely　be　travelling　through　the　country　or
prospecting　for　gold。　Suddenly　he　comes　over　the　edge　of　a　cut　bank；
or　round　the　sharp　spur　of　a　mountain　or　the　shoulder　of　a　cliff　which
walls　in　a　ravine；　or　else　the　indistinct　game　trail　he　has　been
following　through　the　great　trees　twists　sharply　to　one　side　to　avoid
a　rock　or　a　mass　of　down　timber；　and　behold　he　surprises　old　Ephraim
digging　for　roots；　or　munching　berries；　or　slouching　along　the　path；
or　perhaps　rising　suddenly　from　the　lush；　rank　plants　amid　which　he
has　been　lying。　Or　it　may　be　that　the　bear　will　be　spied　afar　rooting
in　an　open　glade　or　on　a　bare　hill…side。

In　the　still…hunt　proper　it　is　necessary　to　find　some　favorite
feeding…ground；　where　there　are　many　roots　or　berry…bearing　bushes；　or
else　to　lure　the　grisly　to　a　carcass。　This　last　method　of　〃baiting〃
for　bears　is　under　ordinary　circumstances　the　only　way　which　affords
even　a　moderately　fair　chance　of　killing　them。　They　are　very　cunning；
with　the　sharpest　of　noses；　and　where　they　have　had　experience　of
hunters　they　dwell　only　in　cover　where　it　is　almost　impossible　for　the
best　of　still…hunters　to　approach　them。

Nevertheless；　in　favorable　ground　a　man　can　often　find　and　kill　them
by　fair　stalking；　in　berry　time；　or　more　especially　in　the　early
spring；　before　the　snow　has　gone　from　the　mountains；　and　while　the
bears　are　driven　by　hunger　to　roam　much　abroad　and　sometimes　to　seek
their　food　in　the　open。　In　such　cases　the　still…hunter　is　stirring　by
the　earliest　dawn；　and　walks　with　stealthy　speed　to　some　high　point　of
observation　from　which　he　can　overlook　the　feeding…grounds　where　he
has　previously　discovered　sign。　From　this　vantage　he　scans　the　country
far　and　near；　either　with　his　own　keen　eyes　or　with　powerful　glasses；
and　he　must　combine　patience　and　good　sight　with　the　ability　to
traverse　long　distances　noiselessly　and　yet　at　speed。　He　may　spend　two
or　three　hours　sitting　still　and　looking　over　a　vast　tract　of　country
before　he　will　suddenly　spy　a　bear；　or　he　may　see　nothing　after　the
most　careful　search　in　a　given　place；　and　must　then　go　on　half　a　dozen
miles　to　another；　watching　warily　as　he　walks；　and　continuing　this
possibly　for　several　days　before　getting　a　glimpse　of　his　game。　If　the
bear　are　digging　roots；　or　otherwise　procur