ECHO MOUNTAIN GRIZZLY 241 



big game with dogs and was sarcastic in his con- 

 demnation of the two sets of hunters who had 

 failed with dogs to procure a three-legged bear. 

 He condemned everyone who used a trap. 

 But the skill of this grizzly in escaping her pur- 

 suers had gone forth, and being a bear hunter 

 he had a great desire to procure her. 



He took a pack horse and several days* pro- 

 visions and camped in the heart of her territory. 

 He spent two days getting acquainted with her 

 domain and on the third day, shortly after noon, 

 came upon her trail and that of her cubs de- 

 scending to the lower part of her territory. He 

 trailed for several miles and then went into camp 

 for the night. Early the next day he set off 

 again. He was a painstaking and intelligent 

 stalker and succeeded in approaching at close 

 range to where the bears were eating the tops off 

 raspberry bushes. They either saw or scented 

 him and, as he circled to get closer, retreated. 

 They went down the mountain about two miles, 

 using the trail they had tracked in the snow 

 climbing up. 



But in a ravine below they abruptly left their 

 old trail, turned southward, climbed to the sum- 

 mit of a ridge, and travelled eastward, evidently 

 bound for the summit of the range. The hunter 

 also hurried up a ridge toward the top, his plan 

 being to intercept the bears at a point above the 



