HUNTING THE GRISLY. 93 



skill and hardihood, and must not too closely 

 count the risk to life or limb. Bears differ 

 widely in temper, and occasionally one may 

 be found who will not show fight, no matter 

 how much he is bullied ; but, as a rule, a 

 hunter must be cautious in meddling with a 

 wounded animal which has retreated into a 

 dense thicket, and has been once or twice 

 roused ; and such a beast, when it does turn, 

 will usually charge again and again, and fight 

 to the last with unconquerable ferocity. The 

 short distance at which the bear can be seen 

 through the underbrush, the fury of his charge, 

 and his tenacity of life make it necessary for 

 the hunter on such occasions to have steady 

 nerves and a fairly quick and accurate aim. 

 It is always well to have two men in follow- 

 ing a wounded bear under such conditions. 

 This is not necessary, however, and a good 

 hunter, rather than lose his quarry, will, under 

 ordinary circumstances, follow and attack it, 

 no matter how tangled the fastness in which 

 it has sought refuge ; but he must act warily 

 and with the utmost caution and resolution, 

 if he wishes to escape a terrible and probably 

 fatal mauling. An experienced hunter is 

 rarely rash, and never heedless ; he will not, 

 when alone, follow a wounded bear into a 

 thicket, if by the exercise of patience, skill, 

 and knowledge of the game's habits he can 

 avoid the necessity ; but it is idle to talk 

 of the feat as something which ought in no 

 case to be attempted. While danger ought 

 never to be needlessly incurred, it is yet true 



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