A COLORADO BEAR HUNT 75 



run down on foot a she grizzly bear and her cub, which 

 had obtained a long start of us, simply because of the 

 foolish conduct of the mother. The cub or more prop- 

 erly the yearling, for it was a cub of the second year 

 ran on far ahead, and would have escaped if the old she 

 had not continually stopped and sat up on her hind legs 

 to look back at us. I think she did this partly from curi- 

 osity, but partly also from bad temper, for once or twice 

 she grinned and roared at us. The upshot of it was that I 

 got within range and put a bullet in the old she, who 

 afterward charged my companion and was killed; and 

 we also got the yearling. 



One young grizzly which I killed many years ago 

 dropped to the first bullet, which entered its stomach. It 

 then let myself and my companion approach closely, look- 

 ing up at us with alert curiosity, but making no effort 

 to escape. It was really not crippled at all, but we 

 thought from its actions that its back was broken, and my 

 companion advanced to kill it with his pistol. The pistol, 

 however, did not inflict a mortal wound, and the only 

 effect was to make the young bear jump to its feet as if 

 unhurt, and race off at full speed through the timber; for 

 though not full grown it was beyond cubhood, being 

 probably about eighteen months old. By desperate run- 

 ning I succeeded in getting another shot, and more by 

 luck than by anything else knocked it over, this time per- 

 manently. 



Black bear are not, under normal conditions, formi- 

 dable brutes. If they do charge and get home they may 

 maul a man severely, and there are a number of instances 



