FOUR-FOOTED PRIZE-FIGHTERS. 2 $l 



dogs, while their disabled comrades were left alone with 

 their conqueror. But his was evidently not a rancorous 

 soul : when we opened the door half an hour after, he 

 was sitting near the window licking one of the curs as a 

 bitch would a lame puppy. 



Even our big grizzly does not deserve his ferine repu- 

 tation. A fellow combining the strength of an urochs 

 with the claws of an ant-bear is naturally not disposed 

 to put up with insults, but his habits in captivity prove 

 that he prefers sweetmeats to flesh ; and, though in stress 

 of circumstances he stills his hunger without fear or 

 ceremony, he never indulges in the wanton destructive- 

 ness of the panther. In the summer of 1879 a grizzly 

 bear entered the enclosure of Alexander Presswood's 

 farm, near Jacksboro', Texas, and helped himself to a 

 quarter of venison that was hanging on the shady side 

 of the farm-house. Near the back door a little boy had 

 fallen asleep on a pile of wool, while his still younger 

 sister was playing at his feet. Seeing the child move, 

 the bear came up and examined it, and then sniffed 

 around the head of the sleeping boy, who, suddenly 

 awakening, started up and slapped the grizzly in the face. 

 The bear retreated and trotted off toward the fence, 

 closely followed by the boy, and, to the horror of his 

 mother, whose attention had been attracted by his angry 

 exclamations, the little fellow raised his foot and dis- 

 missed the brute with a farewell kick as he squeezed 

 himself through the narrow gate. 



