efetwto* 



the savages, the tyrant of all other animals, de- 

 vouring alike man and beast and defying the at- 

 tacks of a whole tribe of Indians." Few people real- 

 ize to what extent these inaccurate words have 

 discouraged outdoor life and how enormously they 

 have contributed to the output of fictitious nature 

 writing. 



The Indians had a profound respect for the fight- 

 ing efficiency of the grizzly. When one of them 

 killed a grizzly he triumphantly wore the claw as a 

 medal for rare bravery. The grizzly has a head and 

 a hide that the Indian could rarely penetrate with 

 either an arrow or a spear. We may readily believe 

 that the grizzly defied the attacks of "a whole 

 tribe of Indians," as Governor DeWitt Clinton 

 said. He would defy a whole tribe of Indians or a 

 score of white men with similar weapons to-day. 

 So, too, would the elephant, the African lion, or 

 the tiger. 



With the rifles used at the time of Lewis and 

 Clark it was necessary for the hunter to approach 

 close to the bear that the bullet might have suffi- 

 cient velocity to penetrate a vital spot. The rifles 

 being only single-shot, the hunter was exposed to 

 the assault of the bear in case his aim missed or the 

 203 



