THE GRIZZLY BEAR. 71 



passing from this to another promising country, we espied 

 a grizzly and her two cubs playing together in a dell in the 

 most affectionate manner; and as we felt sure that they 

 could not escape, we watched their ludicrous and clumsy 

 antics for some moments with keen interest. When weary 

 of that, the dogs and a huntsman were sent to the wind- 

 ward in order to drive the animals to the leeward, where 

 we posted ourselves. As soon as the hounds came in sight 

 of the bears they set up a tremendous yelping, and charged 

 them boldly ; but they reckoned without their host, for the 

 entire party stood boldly at bay, and did not make even an 

 effort to avoid their canine foes ; and when the dogs came 

 to close quarters the cubs drew near their dam, and all 

 raised themselves on their hind-legs, as if they were willing 

 and ready for the contest. 



The dogs tried to get a nip at them, but their effort was 

 in vain, for their ungainly opponents met them in eveiy di- 

 rection, and frequently charged them in return ; but their 

 canine caution and nimbleness enabled them to escape all 

 blows and attempts at a hug. The old grizzly finally be- 

 came so angry at their pertinacious annoyance that she 

 rushed suddenly at one that approached very close, and, 

 giving him a sweeping blow with her paw, killed him as 

 easily as she would a mouse by crushing his skull. While 

 sho was engaged in this affair, half a dozen of the dogs sur- 

 rounded the cubs and gave them several severe nips, which 

 caused them to howl fearfully, and their cries brought the 

 dam back in a hurry to aid them; but before she could 

 come up, one of the youngsters had killed another of its 

 opponeuts by breaking his spinal column with a blow, and 

 then biting it through and through. As the entire pack 

 was threatened with destruction if the contest continued, 

 we advanced at a gallop to the scene, and calling the dogs 

 away, though not without much trouble, we opened fire on 

 the old one only, as we wished to lasso the youngsters. 

 When the latter saw the numerous enemies surrounding 

 them they tried to escape into a copse close by, and the 

 mother attempted to follow them ; but two or three bullets 



