io6 Hunting the Grisly 



denly 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 begin 

 ning of the present century, when white hunt 

 ers first encountered the grisly, he was doubt 

 less an exceedingly savage beast, prone to at 

 tack 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 sport, and 



