278 HUNTING SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



Piana of the forest would touch our eyes, and give us 

 the instinct of sight possessed by the hunter, we would 

 argue thus: "From all the marks about the mouth of 

 the cave, the occupant has not been out for a great 

 length of time, for the grass and the earth have not been 

 lately disturbed. The bear is in the cave, for the last 

 tracks made are with the toe marks towards the cave. 

 There is but one bear, because the tracks are regular 

 andof the same size. He is a large bear; the length 

 of the step and the size of the paw indicate this; and he 

 is a fat one, because his hind feet do not step in the im- 

 pressions made by the fore ones, as is always the case 

 with a lean bear." Such are the signs and arguments 

 that present themselves to the hunter; and mysterious 

 as they seem, when not understood, when explained they 

 strike the imagination at once as being founded on the 

 unerring simplicity and the certainty of nature. It may 

 be asked, How is it that the Grizzly Bear is so formida- 

 ble to numbers, when met in the forest, and when in a 

 cave can be assailed successfully by a single man? In 

 answer to this, we must recollect that the bear is only 

 attacked in his cave when he is in total darkness, and 

 suffering from surprise and the torpidity of the season. 

 These three things are in this method of hunting taken 

 advantage of; and but for these advantages, no quick- 

 ness of eye, no steadiness of nerve or forest experience, 

 would protect for an instant the intruder to the cave of 

 the Jrizzly Bear. The hunter, having satisfied himself 

 about the cave, prepares a candle, which he makes out 

 of the wax taken from the comb of wild bees, softened 

 by the grease of the bear. This candle has a large wick, 



