hunting the grisly and other sketches-第16章

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thicket；　he　suddenly　left　it　directly　opposite；　and　then　wheeled　and
stood　broadside　to　me　on　the　hill…side；　a　little　above。　He　turned　his
head　stiffly　towards　me；　scarlet　strings　of　froth　hung　from　his　lips；
his　eyes　burned　like　embers　in　the　gloom。

I　held　true；　aiming　behind　the　shoulder；　and　my　bullet　shattered　the
point　or　lower　end　of　his　heart；　taking　out　a　big　nick。　Instantly　the
great　bear　turned　with　a　harsh　roar　of　fury　and　challenge；　blowing　the
blood　foam　from　his　mouth；　so　that　I　saw　the　gleam　of　his　white　fangs；
and　then　he　charged　straight　at　me；　crashing　and　bounding　through　the
laurel　bushes；　so　that　it　was　hard　to　aim。　I　waited　until　he　came　to　a
fallen　tree；　raking　him　as　he　topped　it　with　a　ball；　which　entered　his
chest　and　went　through　the　cavity　of　his　body；　but　he　neither　swerved
nor　flinched；　and　at　the　moment　I　did　not　know　that　I　had　struck　him。
He　came　steadily　on；　and　in　another　second　was　almost　upon　me。　I　fired
for　his　forehead；　but　my　bullet　went　low；　entering　his　open　mouth；
smashing　his　lower　jaw　and　going　into　the　neck。　I　leaped　to　one　side
almost　as　I　pulled　trigger；　and　through　the　hanging　smoke　the　first
thing　I　saw　was　his　paw　as　he　made　a　vicious　side　blow　at　me。　The　rush
of　his　charge　carried　him　past。　As　he　struck　he　lurched　forward；
leaving　a　pool　of　bright　blood　where　his　muzzle　hit　the　ground；　but　he
recovered　himself　and　made　two　or　three　jumps　onwards；　while　I
hurriedly　jammed　a　couple　of　cartridges　into　the　magazine；　my　rifle
holding　only　four；　all　of　which　I　had　fired。　Then　he　tried　to　pull　up；
but　as　he　did　so　his　muscles　seemed　suddenly　to　give　way；　his　head
drooped；　and　he　rolled　over　and　over　like　a　shot　rabbit。　Each　of　my
first　three　bullets　had　inflicted　a　mortal　wound。

It　was　already　twilight；　and　I　merely　opened　the　carcass；　and　then
trotted　back　to　camp。　Next　morning　I　returned　and　with　much　labor　took
off　the　skin。　The　fur　was　very　fine；　the　animal　being　in　excellent
trim；　and　unusually　bright…colored。　Unfortunately；　in　packing　it　out　I
lost　the　skull；　and　had　to　supply　its　place　with　one　of　plaster。　The
beauty　of　the　trophy；　and　the　memory　of　the　circumstances　under　which
I　procured　it；　make　me　value　it　perhaps　more　highly　than　any　other　in
my　house。

This　is　the　only　instance　in　which　I　have　been　regularly　charged　by　a
grisly。　On　the　whole；　the　danger　of　hunting　these　great　bears　has　been
much　exaggerated。　At　the　beginning　of　the　present　century；　when　white
hunters　first　encountered　the　grisly；　he　was　doubtless　an　exceedingly
savage　beast；　prone　to　attack　without　provocation；　and　a　redoubtable
foe　to　persons　armed　with　the　clumsy；　small…bore　muzzle…loading　rifles
of　the　day。　But　at　present　bitter　experience　has　taught　him　caution。
He　has　been　hunted　for　the　bounty；　and　hunted　as　a　dangerous　enemy　to
stock；　until；　save　in　the　very　wildest　districts；　he　has　learned　to　be
more　wary　than　a　deer　and　to　avoid　man's　presence　almost　as　carefully
as　the　most　timid　kind　of　game。　Except　in　rare　cases　he　will　not
attack　of　his　own　accord；　and；　as　a　rule；　even　when　wounded　his　object
is　escape　rather　than　battle。

Still；　when　fairly　brought　to　bay；　or　when　moved　by　a　sudden　fit　of
ungovernable　anger；　the　grisly　is　beyond　peradventure　a　very　dangerous
antagonist。　The　first　shot；　if　taken　at　a　bear　a　good　distance　off　and
previously　unwounded　and　unharried；　is　not　usually　fraught　with　much
danger；　the　startled　animal　being　at　the　outset　bent　merely　on　flight。
It　is　always　hazardous；　however；　to　track　a　wounded　and　worried　grisly
into　thick　cover；　and　the　man　who　habitually　follows　and　kills　this
chief　of　American　game　in　dense　timber；　never　abandoning　the　bloody
trail　whithersoever　it　leads；　must　show　no　small　degree　of　skill　and
hardihood；　and　must　not　too　closely　count　the　risk　to　life　or　limb。
Bears　differ　widely　in　temper；　and　occasionally　one　may　be　found　who
will　not　show　fight；　no　matter　how　much　he　is　bullied；　but；　as　a　rule；
a　hunter　must　be　cautious　in　meddling　with　a　wounded　animal　which　has
retreated　into　a　dense　thicket；　and　had　been　once　or　twice　roused；　and
such　a　beast；　when　it　does　turn；　will　usually　charge　again　and　again；
and　fight　to　the　last　with　unconquerable　ferocity。　The　short　distance
at　which　the　bear　can　be　seen　through　the　underbrush；　the　fury　of　his
charge；　and　his　tenacity　of　life　make　it　necessary　for　the　hunter　on
such　occasions　to　have　steady　nerves　and　a　fairly　quick　and　accurate
aim。　It　is　always　well　to　have　two　men　in　following　a　wounded　bear
under　such　conditions。　This　is　not　necessary；　however；　and　a　good
hunter；　rather　than　lose　his　quarry；　will；　under　ordinary
circumstances；　follow　and　attack　it；　no　matter　how　tangled　the
fastness　in　which　it　has　sought　refuge；　but　he　must　act　warily　and
with　the　utmost　caution　and　resolution；　if　he　wishes　to　escape　a
terrible　and　probably　fatal　mauling。　An　experienced　hunter　is　rarely
rash；　and　never　heedless；　he　will　not；　when　alone；　follow　a　wounded
bear　into　a　thicket；　if　by　that　exercise　of　patience；　skill；　and
knowledge　of　the　game's　habits　he　can　avoid　the　necessity；　but　it　is
idle　to　talk　of　the　feat　as　something　which　ought　in　no　case　to　be
attempted。　While　danger　ought　never　to　be　needlessly　incurred；　it　is
yet　true　that　the　keenest　zest　in　sport　comes　from　its　presence；　and
from　the　consequent　exercise　of　the　qualities　necessary　to　overcome
it。　The　most　thrilling　moments　of　an　American　hunter's　life　are　those
in　which；　with　every　sense　on　the　alert；　and　with　nerves　strung　to　the
highest　point；　he　is　following　alone　into　the　heart　of　its　forest
fastness　the　fresh　and　bloody　footprints　of　an　angered　grisly；　and　no
other　triumph　of　American　hunting　can　compare　with　the　victory　to　be
thus　gained。

These　big　bears　will　not　ordinarily　charge　from　a　distance　of　over　a
hundred　yards；　but　there　are　exceptions　to　this　rule。　In　the　fall　of
1890　my　friend　Archibald　Rogers　was　hunting　in　Wyoming；　south　of　the
Yellowstone　Park；　and　killed　seven　bears。　One；　an　old　he；　was　out　on　a
bare　table…land；　grubbing　for　roots；　when　he　was　spied。　It　was　early
in　the　afternoon；　and　the　hunters；　who　were　on　a　high　mountain　slope；
examined　him　for　some　time　through　their　powerful　glasses　before
making　him　out　to　be　a　bear。　They　then　stalked　up　to　the　edge　of　the
wood　which　fringed　on　the　table…land　on　one　side；　but　could　get　no
nearer　than　about　three　hundred　yards；　the　plains　being　barren　of　all
cover。　After　waiting　for　a　couple　of　hours　Rogers　risked　the　shot；　in
despair　of　getting　nearer；　and　wounded　the　bear；　though　not　very
seriously。　The　animal　made　off；　almost　broadside　to；　and　Rogers　ran
forward　to　intercept　it。　As　soon　as　it　saw　him　it　turned　and　rushed
straight　for　him；　not　heeding　his　second　shot；　and　evidently　bent　on
charging　home。　Rogers　then　waited　until　it　was　within　twenty　yards；
and　brained　it　with　his　third　bullet。

In　fact　bears　differ　individually　in　courage　and　ferocity　precisely　as
men　do；　or　as　the　Spanish　bulls；　of　which　it　is　said　that　not　more
than　one　in　twenty　is　fit　to　stand　the　combat　of　the　arena。　One　grisly
can　scarcely　be　bullied　into　resistance；　the　next　may　fight　to　the
end；　against　any　odds；　without　flinching；　or　even　attack　unprovoked。
Hence　men　of　limited　experience　in　this　sport；　generalizing　from　the
actions　of　the　two　or　three　bears　each　has　happened　to　see　or　kill；
often　reach　diametrically　opposite　conclusions　as　to　the　fighting
temper　and　capacity　of　the　quarry。　Even　old　hunterswho　indeed；　as　a
class；　are　very　narrow…minded　and　opinionatedoften　generalize　just
as　rashly　as　beginners。　One　will　portray　all　bears　as　very　dangerous；
another　will　speak　and　act　as　if　he　deemed　them　of　no　more　consequence
than　so　many　rabbits。　I　knew　one　old　hunter　who　had　killed　a　score
without　ever　seeing　one　show　fight。　On　the　other　hand；　Dr。　James　C。
Merrill；　U。　S。　A。；　who　has　had　about　as　much　experience　with　bears　as
I　have　had；　informs　me　that　he　has　been　charged　with　the　utmost
determination　three　times。　In　each　case　the　attack　was　delivered
before　the　bear　was　wounded　or　even　shot　at；　the　animal　being　roused
by　the　approach　of　the　hunter　from　his　day　bed；　and　charging　headlong