A Bear-Hunt in the Sierras 



the sheep, of a she grizzly and two cubs. 

 Their approach had been without a sound ; 

 not the snap of a twig, or the faintest footfall, 

 had given any signal of their presence. The 

 mother had critically overhauled the flock in 

 her mind from a slight rise of ground, on a 

 level with their backs or slightly higher, and 

 made deliberate choice of a fat wether, having 

 a discriminating eye, and being too good a 

 judge of sheep flesh to take any but such as 

 are in prime condition. A single quick rush 

 and she has secured her victim, in an instant, 

 before the rest are fairly upon their feet, and 

 is off, carrying the sheep in her mouth as 

 easily as a cat would her kitten, her delighted 

 cubs trotting behind. Every two or three 

 nights this occurrence was repeated, with no 

 interference upon the part of the Mexicans. 

 "What recks it them?" "The hungry sheep 

 look up and are not fed." On the contrary, 

 the bears are. As for the Mexicans, they 

 have "lost no bear!" To have seen the in- 

 truder would have been only a gratuitous 

 anxiety, since nothing in the world would 

 have tempted them to fire at it. Should they 

 risk life and limb for a sheep? and that the 

 patrons, who had so many ! It was not their 



