IN A WILD ANIMAL REPUBLIC. 



DAN BEARD. 



All day the July sun has been shining 

 with tropical heat, causing the crystal 

 mountain air to shimmer above the white, 

 dusty roads ; but now the fiery ball is sink- 

 ing behind the Sofatara plateau, the length- 

 ening shadows creep rapidly Eastward over 

 glistening geyserite formations, and the 

 coyote chorus proclaims the restful even- 

 ing. In the gloaming the forests of pine, 

 fir, and black spruce are extremely somber ; 

 the camp fires shed a ruddier glow ; bats 

 creep from the hollow trees and launch 

 themselves on noiseless wings, and like a 

 flitting shadow the flying squirrel sails by 

 the camper's face. As the shadows deepen 

 the small nocturnal mammals come from 



of the menageries. Gigantic strength, un- 

 bounded courage and astounding tenacity 

 of life make the grizzly a most dangerous 

 foe. 



Freedom from persecution will hardly 

 change the nature of an animal, but it will 

 allow him to revert to the state in which 

 he existed before his persecution began. 

 It is plain, too, that the changed condi- 

 tions will not affect all the fauna alike, 

 and that though their wildness may be 

 greatly modified, they will still retain their 

 racial characteristics. One of the most 

 interesting results of immunity from per- 

 secution enjoyed by the animals of the Yel- 

 lowstone Park is its civilizing effect on 



A GRIZZLY CUB. 



their subterranean homes and rustle among 

 the dry grasses or the roots of the fringed 

 gentians and Indian paint brushes. Fresh 

 from the eternal snows of the mountains, 

 the cool night wind whispers among the 

 trees; objects near at hand become vague, 

 and the increasing gloom materializes into 

 moving forms which steal from the shad- 

 ows and troop down the broad trail. These 

 apparitions are no phantasms of the camp 

 fire, but huge brutes, fierce and sullen. 

 They are grizzly bears. 



The surprising nimbleness of these 

 mighty animals is a revelation to one whose 

 previous knowledge of Ursus horribilis is 

 derived from the broken-spirited prisoners 



the grizzlies, which, beyond a doubt, now 

 recognize their novel position, and are loth 

 to bring scandal on the animal community 

 by acts of violence. Not only do they re- 

 frain from attacking man himself, but they 

 seem to know domestic animals must not 

 be preyed on. This does not arise from 

 lack of opportunity on the part of the 



Bears are the scavengers of the Park, as 

 morning around the stables and open sheds 

 where horses and cows are tethered, and 

 where it is no uncommon sight to see little 

 colts frisking about their dams. 



Bears are the scavengers of the park, as 

 hogs formerly were in our cities. A pe- 

 culiarity of the grizzlies is the marked 



4*7 



