AN ENCOUNTER WITH A GRIZZLY 435 



us were tired and were resting under a pinon tree 

 before starting for camp, I challenged him to ex- 

 plore on foot with me a bit of promising-looking 

 heavy forest before returning. 



"If there was a chance in a million I'd go witli 

 vou, but there isn't a bear within ten miles. You 

 can tramp till you're tired and I'll wait here and 

 eat pinon nuts." 



I hunted very slowly, stopping five minutes 

 at every fifty yards of advance. During one 

 such wait and while I was yet within two hundred 

 yards of my friend a black bear walked slowly 

 past within twenty yards of me. I counted him 

 as my bear, but for the first, and last, time in my 

 life the hammer of my rifle fell on an already 

 exploded cartridge. Gone was the bear plung- 

 ing through the woods, while I churned a car- 

 tridge from the magazine to the barrel of my 

 Winchester, my soul filled to the depths witli 

 chagrin and humiliation. I caught one glimpse 

 of Bruin and sent a bullet that flew wildly his 

 way. 



Then I gave him up, but gazed steadily for the 



