70 HUNTING THE GRISLY. 



usually where the berries are thick, or by 

 the banks of a salmon-thronged river the 

 association is never more than momentary, 

 each going its own way as soon as its hunger 

 is satisfied. The males always live alone by 

 choice, save in the rutting season, when they 

 seek the females. Then two or three may 

 come together in the course of their pursuit 

 and rough courtship of the female ; and if the 

 rivals are well matched, savage battles follow, 

 so that many of the old males have their 

 heads seamed with scars made by their fellows' 

 teeth. At such times they are evil tempered 

 and prone to attack man or beast on slight 

 provocation. 



The she brings forth her cubs, one, two, or 

 three in number, in her winter den. They are 

 very small and helpless things, and it is some 

 time after she leaves her winter home before 

 they can follow her for any distance. They 

 stay with her throughout the summer and the 

 fall, leaving her when the cold weather sets in. 

 By this time they are well grown ; and hence, 

 especially if an old male has joined the she, 

 the family may number three or four indi- 

 viduals, so as to make what seems like quite 

 a .ittle troop of bears. A small ranchman 

 who lived a dozen miles from me on the Little 

 Missouri once found a she-bear and three 

 half-grown cubs feeding at a berry-patch in a 

 ravine. He shot the old she in the small of 

 the back, whereat she made a loud roaring 

 and squealing. One of the cubs rushed to- 

 wards her ; but its sympathy proved misplaced, 



