Old Ephraim. 315 



hit a pint bottle off-hand at thirty or forty feet. I have 

 had two shots at bears at close quarters, and each time I 

 fired into the brain, the bullet in one case striking fairly 

 between the eyes, as told above, and in the other going in 

 between the eye and ear. A novice at this kind of sport 

 will find it best and safest to keep in mind the old Norse 

 viking's advice in reference to a long sword : "If you go 

 in close enough your sword will be long enough." If a 

 poor shot goes in close enough he will find that he shoots 

 straight enough. 



I was very proud over my first bear ; but Merrifield's 

 chief feeling seemed to be disappointment that the animal 

 had not had time to show fight. He was rather a reckless 

 fellow, and very confident in his own skill with the rifle ; 

 and he really did not seem to have any more fear of the 

 grizzlies than if they had been so many jack-rabbits. I did 

 not at all share his feelings, having a hearty respect for my 

 foes' prowess, and in following and attacking them always 

 took all possible care to get the chances on my side. 

 Merrifield was sincerely sorry that we never had to stand 

 a regular charge ; while on this trip we killed five grizzlies 

 with seven bullets, and except in the case of the she and cub, 

 spoken of further on, each was shot about as quickly as it.got 

 sight of us. The last one we got was an old male, which 

 was feeding on an elk carcass. We crept up to within 

 about sixty feet, and as Merrifield had not yet killed a 

 grizzly purely to his own gun, and I had killed three, I 

 told him to take the shot. He at once whispered glee- 

 fully : " I '11 break his leg, and we '11 see what he '11 do ! " 

 Having no ambition to be a participator in the antics of a 



