Hunting at High Altitudes 



George Herendeen's remarks on this occasion 

 suggest a digression. 



After the seasons of 1877 and 1878, I had 

 about made up my mind that I knew nearly as 

 much of the habits of bears as almost any old- 

 timer that I could secure as guide. Few of these 

 men had "lost any bears" ; they cared nothing for 

 whatever glory attached to bear slaying, and on 

 these occasions were not of much use except to 

 help take care of the skins. I had concluded also 

 that I had acquired such skill in the use of the 

 rifle, and such confidence in myself, that I did not 

 fear an encounter with any of the wild animals to 

 be met with. I felt, too, that if, with the modern 

 breech-loader and his supposedly superior intelli- 

 gence, man was not equal to an encounter with a 

 grizzly bear, he had better stay at home. I con- 

 sidered also the danger of being shot by a com- 

 panion in the excitement of the scrimmage or of 

 my shooting him, for on these occasions few people 

 keep cool. For these reasons I always preferred 

 to hunt alone, whether by night or day, finding 

 the game for myself and taking care of it. 



An objection to this practice was the danger of 

 accident from the rifle, from the stumbling or fall- 

 ing of the horse or from a fall through some acci- 

 dent which might result in a broken limb or in 



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