THE GRIZZLY BEAR 273 



pense." At this point another bear leaped on Frank, 

 and, standing over him, tore at the willows, being evi- 

 dently wounded. The bear over Clark now left him 

 and charged Frank, the wounded bear retiring, and as 

 the new enemy came on, Frank says, he managed to get 

 a cartridge in the rifle, poked it against the bear and 

 pulled the trigger. This bear fell dead, with his head 

 on Frank's breast, " knocking the wind out of him." 



A little later in the engagement the two friends hav- 

 ing secured a position on a ledge were charged by the 

 three remaining bears, and killed two of them. Clark 

 was now wild with delight, and swore there was only 

 one left. Moving into the willows, they found the last 

 bear and killed it without difficulty. Clark was en- 

 tirely uninjured, but Frank was badly bitten in the 

 thigh and through one hand. 



This is the largest bag of bears I ever heard of. The 

 account which I have outlined is interesting and excit- 

 ing throughout. Mr. Frank says in conclusion: "The 

 fact that Clark did not receive a scratch should be 

 explained, if susceptible of an explanation. Old hunt- 

 ers say that a badly wounded grizzly will seize and 

 hold on to the first object within reach and expend its 

 remaining strength in a desperate endeavor to rend it 

 to atoms. I have seen this fact verified in at least a 

 half-dozen instances. The bear grabbed a mouthful 

 of willows and was crunchinir them while over Clark, 

 who was playing 'possum. This might also explain 

 why the second bear did not make mince-meat of me. 

 Both of them died with their mouths full of brush." 



Certain it is that both Mr. Frank and his friend had 

 a most miraculous escape. It is a well-established fact 



