HUNTING THE GRISLY* 97 



years' life as a hunter in the Rockies and on 

 the great plains, killed very many grislies. 

 He always exercised much caution in dealing 

 with them ; and, as it happened, he was by 

 some suitable tree in almost every case when 

 he was charged. He would accordingly climb 

 the tree (a practice of which I do not approve 

 however) ; and the bear would look up at him 

 and pass on without stopping. Once, when 

 he was hunting in the mountains with a com- 

 panion, the latter, who was down in a valley, 

 while Woody was on the hill-side, shot at a 

 bear. The first thing Woody knew the 

 wounded grisly, running up-hill, was almost 

 on him from behind. As he turned it seized 

 his rifle in its jaws. He wrenched the rifle 

 round, while the bear still gripped it, and 

 pulled trigger, sending a bullet into its shoul- 

 der ; whereupon it struck him with its paw, 

 and knocked him over the rocks. By good 

 luck he fell in a snow bank and was not hurt 

 in the least. Meanwhile the bear went on 

 and they never got it. 



Once he had an experience with a bear 

 which showed a very curious mixture of rash- 

 ness and cowardice. He and a companion 

 were camped in a little tepee or wigwam, with 

 a bright fire in front of it, lighting up the 

 night. There was an inch of snow on the 

 ground. Just after they went to bed a grisly 

 came close to camp. Their dog rushed out 

 and they could hear it bark round in the dark- 

 ness for nearly an hour ; then the bear drove 

 it off and came right into camp. It went 



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