28 srOK TING A D VENTURES 



were it not for the timely arrival of two companions he would 

 have been killed. 



I heard of t\vo Piute Indians who were surprised by a 

 grizzly while out picking blueberries, and were killed so sud- 

 denly that they hardly knew what hurt them; and of a Black - 

 foot, in Montana, who was attacked on horseback by one, but 

 he, fortunately, escaped with only a serious wound, by desert- 

 ing his steed. The numbers of casualties resulting from 

 encounters with grizzly bears might be extended to a volume, 

 for many of the early pioneers of the Pacific Coast, who lived 

 by hunting or trapping, had an experience of them, and not a 

 few gave their life as a forfeit for it. 



The incidents given will, however, show that it is no animal to 

 play with, and that unless one is prepared for a contest of life 

 and death he ought to give it a, wide berth, should he not 

 have a decided advantage in every way. To encounter it then 

 with any degree of success one needs the most approved 

 weapons, and they should be heavy enough to kill it at once, 

 or to give its nervous system such a shock as would deprive it 

 of all power to do harm. A hollow bullet fired from an express 

 rifle will often kill it immediately, if planted in a vital part, 

 but it is more likely to merely sicken it, or to incite it to mad 

 deeds of violence. A good bone-smasher is a heavy, solid, and 

 spherical bullet fired from an express ride. Shells are also 

 good ; but they are dangerous to handle, and are, in too many 

 cases, ineffective, as they explode as soon as they touch the 

 body; and even if they enter, one cannot be sure of their 

 bursting. They arc, besides, difficult to procure ; and are, in my 

 estimation, almost as dangerous to the hunter as to the hunted. 

 A capital rifle for stalking the grizzly would be an eight-bore, 

 carrying twelve drachms of powder; or a No. 12, carrying six 

 drachms, might be found convenient. The objections to these 

 are, that they are too cumbersome for general shooting, and 

 too heavy to be carried about except on particular occasions. 

 A good 50 calibre express rifle may, therefore, be said to be the 

 best for general purposes, and if one can use that to good 

 advantage he need have little fear of grizzlies, if he will only 

 manage to keep them at a safe distance for a run before com- 



