120 THE LAND OF THE LION 



threw himself up and over the mound to drive off the 

 intruder. That was, of course, not a premeditated charge. 

 I had to shoot quick, because he was very near and could 

 not well stop the impetus of his rush, I do not think he had 

 time even to try; but I am confident all the same, that that 

 bear's last mental impressions were those of dismay and 

 not fury. 



The largest bear I ever had the good fortune to kill, 

 and he was a very large one, I came on suddenly in the 

 dark, as I felt my way along a narrow mountain trail to- 

 ward the cheering spot of camp fire that burned far below, 

 lit by my hunter to guide me to our solitary bivouac. I 

 did not see him till he loomed up before me, Very high 

 he looked in the darkness, and very near. He did not 

 charge nor did he get out of the way. But then all savage 

 beasts know their advantage at night, and are not ready 

 to forego it. 



I know many of my readers may not be convinced by 

 these statements of mine, yet I am confident there is weight 

 in them. Remember, too, that seven times out of ten 

 when a grizzly bear was first seen, he was grubbing under 

 stones on the higher mountain slope along which he would 

 move almost as fast as a good man could walk. He had 

 to be followed, perhaps for hours at a fast walk. When 

 at last the hunter drew near, he was pretty well spent with 

 climbing, and was inclined, unless he was an old hand, 

 to save himself the trouble of mounting some hundred 

 feet higher than his game, so took his shot from below. 

 The grizzly's haunts would be down the steep, not up, 

 some woody canyon, from which he had started, he would 

 be sure to make for, at the first alarm, His sight is poor. 

 He cannot distinguish, among the boulders strewn about, 

 the spot of brown that is shooting at him. He simply 

 plunges downward and homeward, and if the man is on 

 his way, he will run into him or over him. 



