172 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



contingencies, a bear-trap was thoughtfully borrowed 

 by Frank from a friendly ranchman as we drove up 

 the North Platte River. 



Before I come to relate the particular incidents of 

 this bear's death the first grizzly we had so far set 

 eyes on a general word on the range grizzlies of the 

 Rockies may not be out of place. 



The range grizzly, under which term I include the 

 cinnamon and the silver-tip, is the characteristic bear 

 of the Rockies. All these bears possess the grizzly 

 characteristics namely, a big head (in the literal 

 sense), and long five-inch claws on the fore-feet ; also 

 a violent and ungovernable temper when injured or 

 provoked. The black bear is a smaller, scarcer, and 

 comparatively harmless variety of the North Ameri- 

 can bear tribe, with smaller head and short claws. 

 The original Californian grizzly, reported to have 

 been a veritable monster in size, is now supposed to 

 be extinct. Living in a more temperate climate than 

 the range grizzly, he probably did not require to 

 hibernate. I once asked a Californian acquaintance 

 of mine if he had ever met a real old grizzly. 



6 1 did once,' he replied, ' and that was once too 

 often for me.' I pressed for further particulars. 

 He went on : ' I was out deer-hunting in the Sierras.' 

 Then, after a pause : ' Do you know the Palace Hotel 

 at Frisco ?' I did. ' Wai, sir, in one of them Sierra 

 canons I saw a bear about as big as that hotel 

 a-comin' for me. I pumped a Winchester full of lead 

 at him, and he still continued to come. I turned tail 

 and ran,' he concluded, ' and I give you my word I've 

 never seen that bear from that day to this !' 



There are some huge bears still left in Alaska. An 

 unlimited fish diet, when the salmon are running up 



