Old Ephraim 329 



and caused him severe loss, killing with ease even 

 full-grown beef-steers. But one of them once found 

 his intended quarry too much for him. My friend 

 had a stocky, rather vicious range stallion, which had 

 been grazing one day near a small thicket of bushes, 

 and, toward evening, came galloping in with three 

 or four gashes in his haunch, that looked as if they 

 had been cut with a dull axe. The cowboys knew 

 at once tnat he had been assailed by a bear, and rode 

 off to the thicket near which he had been feeding. 

 Sure enough a bear, evidently in a very bad temper, 

 sallied out as soon as the thicket was surrounded, 

 and, after a spirited fight and a succession of 

 charges, was killed. On examination, it was found 

 that his under jaw was broken, and part of his face 

 smashed in, evidently by the stallion's hoofs. The 

 horse had been feeding when the bear leaped out at 

 him but failed to kill at the first stroke; then the 

 horse lashed out behind, and not only freed himself, 

 but also severely damaged his opponent. 



Doubtless, the grisly could be hunted to advan- 

 tage with dogs, which would not, of course, be ex- 

 pected to seize him, but simply to find and bay him, 

 and distract his attention by barking and nipping. 

 Occasionally a bear can be caught in the open and 

 killed with the aid of horses. But nine times out of 

 ten the only way to get one is to put on moccasins 

 and still-hunt it in its own haunts, shooting it at 

 close quarters. Either its tracks should be followed 

 until the bed wherein it lies during the day is found, 

 or a given locality in which it is known to exist 



