Next he appeared to be trying to walk the log. 

 When he was almost on it, the log rolled and with a 

 splash the grizzly fell into the water on his side. 

 For a second he lost sight of the log, or pretended 

 that he had, and took swift glances this way and 

 that. As it bumped into his up-stream side, he 

 seized it with feigned surprise. Then he took it to 

 the bank in shallow water, mauling it about, biting 

 and gnawing at it. As the log rolled from side to 

 side, he swam around it, batting it and pushing it 

 under. 



A number of Clarke nutcrackers and magpies 

 had collected and in astonishment watched the 

 exhibition. Ordinarily a nutcracker is noisy in 

 autumn, screaming and chuckling loudly and 

 harshly. But these were motionless and silent as 

 they watched. A passing magpie whirled aside to 

 see the show, and was just alighting on the bank 

 when the bear splashed water wildly with a sweep- 

 ing stroke at the log. With confused haste the 

 magpie retreated. Taking a stand on a solitary 

 spruce which leaned over the bank, he watched the 

 scene without a move. The other birds, equally in- 

 tent, watched from a high-water log-jam among 

 large near-by bowlders. 



141 



