GEIZZLY BEAKS. 37 



lization, and to-day .he is only to be found in elevated 

 regions, in the Rocky Mountains, for example, and 

 in the Black Mountains, a great chain situated about 

 thirty- three leagues to the east of them. There he 

 hides himself in caverns, or in holes scooped out by 

 himself under the roots and trunks of fallen trees. 



Hunters, whether red or white, regard the hunting' 

 of the bear as the most heroic of all the field sports on 

 the American continent. They prefer attacking him 

 on horseback, and sometimes they approach sufficiently 

 near to touch him, but woe to the horse or the rider 

 that gets too. near to his terrible claws ! The man 

 must have a sure eye and a steady hand to strike the 

 animal in a vital part, for he is very difficult to kill ; and 

 it very rarely happens that one shot kills him, unless it 

 passes through his head or his heart. 



Some Americans on a commercial expedition had 

 one evening established their camp at tho foot of the 

 Black Mountains. Soon, from the numerous footprints 

 among the bushes, they discovered that their tents were 

 pitched just in the very midst of one of the rendezvous 

 of grizzly bears. From that moment all the charm of 

 the encampment was destroyed. 



The night, however, was passed very well, but they 

 had sufficient proof next morning that their fears had 

 not been groundless. 



" Amongst the hired men of the party was one 



