x THE BEAR 207 



the tip top of the hill just above us ? That was the place just 

 beneath, on that little terrace-like projection with a few spruce firs 

 upon it. There's a steep but not a difficult way down by the side 

 of that cliff, and when young Edmund and I got down upon that 

 terrace, there were a lot of big rocks lying about, and all of a 

 sudden one of 'em stood up on end within 10 yards of me, and sat 

 up regularly smiling at me, with the most innocent and amiable 

 expression of countenance I ever saw. That was the biggest 

 grizzly bear I ever came across ; he was as big as the biggest bull 

 I ever saw in the ranche, and there he was, sitting up on end like 

 a dog, and almost laughing. There was no laugh in me, I can tell 

 you ; I just lost no time, but turned round, and hooked it ; and I 

 don't think I ever ran so fast in all my life." 



"But why did you not shoot him 1 ?" I exclaimed with astonish- 

 ment. " Shoot him 1 Oh yes, that's very likely, when he wasn't 

 farther than 10 yards off, and I should have had such a poor 

 start, and no place to run to ! No, I knew better than that, with 

 a single-barrel Sharp '450. If I had had your double-barrel '577, 

 with a big solid bullet, and 6 drams of powder, I shouldn't have 

 run away ; but I go hunting for skins with my little Sharp, and I 

 don't want a grizzly to go hunting for my skin ; not if I know it. 

 I've left him for you, and d'ye see, if you go up there this morning, 

 there's some snow about, and you'll likely come across his tracks. 

 If you do, you'll be astonished, I can tell you." 



Ten minutes after this discourse, I was on my way up the 

 mountain side in the hope of meeting this extraordinary bear. 



Upon arrival at the summit, there was a splendid view of the 

 main range of the Eocky Mountains, about 70 miles distant, across 

 a desolate region some 4000 feet below the point upon which we 

 stood. There was a little snow, but only in patches on the moun- 

 tain top, and, when near the terrace upon which Big Bill had had 

 his interview with the bear, we certainly discovered an enormous 

 track, the largest that I have ever seen. 



We attempted to follow this for some hours, but to no purpose ; 

 on several occasions I could have taken deadly shots at black-tail 

 deer and wapiti, but I determined to reserve my bullet for the big 

 game, the object of our pursuit. The day passed away in failure. 

 The next day was equally disappointing ; from morning to sunset 

 I fagged over the summits and the spruce fir sides of the moun- 

 tains, without a trace of the big bear. We passed the old traces 

 that we had seen the previous day upon the snow, but they were 

 still more indistinct, and there was nothing fresh. I was de- 

 termined, if possible, to find this bear, therefore I devoted a third 



