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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
at them from a distance of twenty or thirty paces。 All three bears
were killed before they could do any damage。 There was a very
remarkable incident connected with the killing of one of them。 It
occurred in the northern spurs of the Bighorn range。 Dr。 Merrill； in
company with an old hunter； had climbed down into a deep； narrow
canyon。 The bottom was threaded with well…beaten elk trails。 While
following one of these the two men turned a corner of the canyon and
were instantly charged by an old she…grisly； so close that it was only
by good luck that one of the hurried shots disabled her and caused her
to tumble over a cut bank where she was easily finished。 They found
that she had been lying directly across the game trail； on a smooth
well beaten patch of bare earth； which looked as if it had been dug
up； refilled； and trampled down。 Looking curiously at this patch they
saw a bit of hide only partially covered at one end； digging down they
found the body of a well grown grisly cub。 Its skull had been crushed；
and the brains licked out； and there were signs of other injuries。 The
hunters pondered long over this strange discovery； and hazarded many
guesses as to its meaning。 At last they decided that probably the cub
had been killed； and its brains eaten out； either by some old male…
grisly or by a cougar； that the mother had returned and driven away
the murderer； and that she had then buried the body and lain above it；
waiting to wreak her vengeance on the first passer…by。
Old Tazewell Woody； during his thirty years' life as a hunter in the
Rockies and on the great plains； killed very many grislies。 He always
exercised much caution in dealing with them； and； as it happened； he
was by some suitable tree in almost every case when he was charged。 He
would accordingly climb the tree （a practice of which I do not approve
however）； and the bear would look up at him and pass on without
stopping。 Once； when he was hunting in the mountains with a companion；
the latter； who was down in a valley； while Woody was on the hill…
side； shot at a bear。 The first thing Woody knew the wounded grisly；
running up…hill； was almost on him from behind。 As he turned it seized
his rifle in its jaws。 He wrenched the rifle round； while the bear
still gripped it； and pulled trigger； sending a bullet into its
shoulder； whereupon it struck him with its paw； and knocked him over
the rocks。 By good luck he fell in a snow bank and was not hurt in the
least。 Meanwhile the bear went on and they never got it。
Once he had an experience with a bear which showed a very curious
mixture of rashness and cowardice。 He and a companion were camped in a
little tepee or wigwam； with a bright fire in front of it； lighting up
the night。 There was an inch of snow on the ground。 Just after they
went to bed a grisly came close to camp。 Their dog rushed out and they
could hear it bark round in the darkness for nearly an hour； then the
bear drove it off and came right into camp。 It went close to the fire；
picking up the scraps of meat and bread； pulled a haunch of venison
down from a tree； and passed and repassed in front of the tepee；
paying no heed whatever to the two men； who crouched in the doorway
talking to one another。 Once it passed so close that Woody could
almost have touched it。 Finally his companion fired into it； and off
it ran； badly wounded； without an attempt at retaliation。 Next morning
they followed its tracks in the snow； and found it a quarter or a mile
away。 It was near a pine and had buried itself under the loose earth；
pine needles； and snow； Woody's companion almost walked over it； and
putting his rifle to its ear blew out its brains。
In all his experience Woody had personally seen but four men who were
badly mauled by bears。 Three of these were merely wounded。 One was
bitten terribly in the back。 Another had an arm partially chewed off。
The third was a man named George Dow； and the accident happened to him
on the Yellowstone about the year 1878。 He was with a pack animal at
the time； leading it on a trail through a wood。 Seeing a big she…bear
with cubs he yelled at her； whereat she ran away； but only to cache
her cubs； and in a minute； having hidden them； came racing back at
him。 His pack animal being slow he started to climb a tree； but before
he could get far enough up she caught him； almost biting a piece out
of the calf of his leg； pulled him down； bit and cuffed him two or
three times； and then went on her way。
The only time Woody ever saw a man killed by a bear was once when he
had given a touch of variety to his life by shipping on a New Bedford
whaler which had touched at one of the Puget Sound ports。 The whaler
went up to a part of Alaska where bears were very plentiful and bold。
One day a couple of boats' crews landed； and the men； who were armed
only with an occasional harpoon or lance； scattered over the beach；
one of them； a Frenchman； wading into the water after shell…fish。
Suddenly a bear emerged from some bushes and charged among the
astonished sailors； who scattered in every direction； but the bear；
said Woody； 〃just had it in for that Frenchman；〃 and went straight at
him。 Shrieking with terror he retreated up to his neck in the water；
but the bear plunged in after him； caught him； and disembowelled him。
One of the Yankee mates then fired a bomb lance into the bear's hips；
and the savage beast hobbled off into the dense cover of the low
scrub； where the enraged sailor folk were unable to get at it。
The truth is that while the grisly generally avoids a battle if
possible； and often acts with great cowardice； it is never safe to
take liberties with him； he usually fights desperately and dies hard
when wounded and cornered； and exceptional individuals take the
aggressive on small provocation。
During the years I lived on the frontier I came in contact with many
persons who had been severely mauled or even crippled for life by
grislies； and a number of cases where they killed men outright were
also brought under my ken。 Generally these accidents； as was natural；
occurred to hunters who had roused or wounded the game。
A fighting bear sometimes uses his claws and sometimes his teeth。 I
have never known one to attempt to kill an antagonist by hugging； in
spite of the popular belief to this effect； though he will sometimes
draw an enemy towards him with his paws the better to reach him with
his teeth； and to hold him so that he cannot escape from the biting。
Nor does the bear often advance on his hind legs to the attack；
though； if the man has come close to him in thick underbrush； or has
stumbled on him in his lair unawares； he will often rise up in this
fashion and strike a single blow。 He will also rise in clinching with
a man on horseback。 In 1882 a mounted Indian was killed in this manner
on one of the river bottoms some miles below where my ranch house now
stands； not far from the junction of the Beaver and Little Missouri。
The bear had been hunted into a thicket by a band of Indians； in whose
company my informant； a white squaw…man； with whom I afterward did
some