(gocfig (mountain Tl^onberfanb 



not the aggressor. He does not belong to the 

 criminal class. 



Almost every one is interested in bears; 

 children, the tenderfeet, and Westerners are 

 always glad to have a good bear story. Count- 

 less thousands of bear stories have been writ- 

 ten, — and generally written by people unac- 

 quainted with the character of grizzly bears. 

 Most of these stories are founded on one or an- 

 other of three fundamental errors. One of these 

 is that the grizzly has a bad temper, — "as 

 cross as a bear" is an exceedingly common 

 expression ; another is that bears are ferocious, 

 watchful, and aggressive, always ready to make 

 an attack or to do wanton killing; and the third 

 is that it is almost impossible to kill him. After 

 a desperate fight — in the story — the grizzly 

 at last succumbs, but not, as a rule, until his 

 body is numerously perforated or changed into 

 a lead mine. As a matter of fact, a shot in the 

 brain, in the upper part of the heart, or prop- 

 erly placed in the spine instantly ends the life 

 of a grizzly. Most hunters when facing a grizzly 

 do not shoot accurately. 



196 



