“AN OLD GRIZZLY.” 807 
Some were killed near ‘Green Springs,’ cm the 
Stanislaus, in the winter of 1849-50, that were 
nearly eight hundred pounds weight. I saw 
many cubs at San Francisco, Sacramento city, 
and Stockton, and even those not larger than 
an ordinary sized dog showed evidence of their 
future fierceness, as it required great patience to 
render them gentle enough to be handled with 
impunity as pets. In camping at night, my 
friend Robert Layton, and. I, too, often thought 
what sort of defence we could make should an 
old fellow come smelling round our solitary tent 
for supper; but as ‘Old Riley,’ our pack-mule, 
was always tied near, we used to quiet ourselves 
with the idea that while Riley was snorting and 
kicking, we might place a couple of well-aimed 
balls from our old friend Miss Betsey, (as the 
boys had christened my large gun,) so that our 
revolvers, Colt’s dragoon pistols, would give us 
the victory; but really a startling effect would 
be produced by the snout of a grizzly bear be- 
ing thrust into your tent, and your awaking at 
the noise of the sniff he might take to induce 
his appetite. 
“T was anxious to purchase a few of the beau- 
tiful skins of this species, but those who had 
killed ‘an old grizzly’ said they would take his 
skin home. It makes a first-rate bed under the 
am and worn blanket of the digger. 
