56 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



embodiment of selfishness. From what I have seen of its 

 character, I should say that " bearishness " was a much 

 more appropriate word for expressing the lowest type of 

 self-interest than that homely old word " hoggishness," for 

 the suidce are exceedingly generous compared to the griz- 

 zly. Its mode of living when wild is not such as to arouse 

 our sympathy either, as it preys on the most wretched little 

 creatures, such as ants, mice, rats, and squirrels, and, not 

 content with destroying them, it devours their small stores 

 of nuts and roots. Like its black congener, it is also fond 

 of berries, honey, and the pomona, and will risk its life to 

 obtain either. As few persons — perhaps no one — make a 

 business of hunting this animal, it is not often shot, as it is 

 only occasionally met with, and, in most cases, accidentally. 

 It is not, fortunately, very common ; and as it avoids the 

 haunts of man, it does not do much harm to the farm-yard. 



Those who go out for a grizzly hunt make it a matter of 

 sport, if I except the Indians, and, if they seek its abode, it 

 is for the purpose of adorning themselves with its claws, 

 and boasting of their prowess. They catch it sometimes in 

 pitfalls; and the Sioux formerly chased it on horseback, 

 when they found it on open ground, and filled it with ar- 

 rows or pierced it with rude lances. The Mexicans of Cali- 

 fornia formerly captured it most deftly with lariats ; but to 

 do this several were required. Their first movement was 

 to charge past it, if it stood erect, and lasso its paws, and, 

 if successful in this, they entangled it in their lariats, and 

 used their active mustangs to drag it to a convenient spot, 

 where it was either killed or safely penned up until it was 

 wanted for a contest with a fierce bull. These contests 

 were once popular, and were the great feature of holidays, 

 but they are now becoming rarer, owing to the advance of 

 civilization and the interposition of the law. 



For. one man to kill a grizzly single-handed is no ordina- 

 ry event, owing to the quantity of lead it can carry, the 

 promptitude with which it can generally retreat to cover 

 or charge its foe, and to the often inaccessible haunts which 

 it frequents; yet it is done occasionally by experienced 



