OLD EPHRAIM, THE GRISLY BEAR. 67 



ever, they may feed all night long, and then 

 wander but little in the daytime. 



Aside from man, the full-grown grisly has 

 hardly any foe to fear. Nevertheless, in the 

 early spring, when weakened by the hunger 

 that succeeds the winter sleep, it behooves 

 even the grisly, if he dwells in the mountain 

 fastnesses of the far northwest, to beware of a 

 famished troop of great timber wolves. These 

 northern Rocky Mountain wolves are most 

 formidable beasts, and when many of them 

 band together in time of famine they do not 

 hesitate to pounce on the black bear and 

 cougar ; and even a full-grown grisly is not 

 safe from their attacks, unless he can back up 

 against some rock which will prevent them 

 from assailing him from behind. A small 

 ranchman whom I knew well, who lived near 

 Flathead Lake, once in April found where a 

 troop of these wolves had killed a good-sized 

 yearling grisly. Either cougar or wolf will 

 make a prey of a grisly which is but a few 

 months old ; while any fox, lynx, wolverine, 

 or fisher will seize the very young cubs. The 

 old story about wolves fearing to feast on game 

 killed by a grisly is all nonsense. Wolves 

 are canny beasts, and they will not approach 

 a carcass if they think a bear is hidden near by 

 and likely to rush out at them ; but under or- 

 dinary circumstances they will feast not only 

 on the carcasses of the grisly's victims, but on 

 the carcass of the grisly himself after he has 

 been slain and left by the hunter. Of course 

 wolves would only attack a grisly if in the 



