hunting the grisly and other sketches-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Where　they　are　much　hunted；　bear　become　purely　nocturnal；　but　in　the
wilder　forests　I　have　seen　them　abroad　at　all　hours；　though　they　do
not　much　relish　the　intense　heat　of　noon。　They　are　rather　comical
animals　to　watch　feeding　and　going　about　the　ordinary　business　of
their　lives。　Once　I　spent　half　an　hour　lying　at　the　edge　of　a　wood　and
looking　at　a　black　bear　some　three　hundred　yards　off　across　an　open
glade。　It　was　in　good　stalking　country；　but　the　wind　was　unfavorable
and　I　waited　for　it　to　shiftwaited　too　long　as　it　proved；　for
something　frightened　the　beast　and　he　made　off　before　I　could　get　a
shot　at　him。　When　I　first　saw　him　he　was　shuffling　along　and　rooting
in　the　ground；　so　that　he　looked　like　a　great　pig。　Then　he　began　to
turn　over　the　stones　and　logs　to　hunt　for　insects；　small　reptiles；　and
the　like。　A　moderate…sized　stone　he　would　turn　over　with　a　single　clap
of　his　paw；　and　then　plunge　his　nose　down　into　the　hollow　to　gobble　up
the　small　creatures　beneath　while　still　dazed　by　the　light。　The　big
logs　and　rocks　he　would　tug　and　worry　at　with　both　paws；　once；　over…
exerting　his　clumsy　strength；　he　lost　his　grip　and　rolled　clean　on　his
back。　Under　some　of　the　logs　he　evidently　found　mice　and　chipmunks；
then；　as　soon　as　the　log　was　overturned；　he　would　be　seen　jumping
about　with　grotesque　agility；　and　making　quick　dabs　here　and　there；　as
the　little；　scurrying　rodent　turned　and　twisted；　until　at　last　he　put
his　paw　on　it　and　scooped　it　up　into　his　mouth。　Sometimes；　probably
when　he　smelt　the　mice　underneath；　he　would　cautiously　turn　the　log
over　with　one　paw；　holding　the　other　lifted　and　ready　to　strike。　Now
and　then　he　would　halt　and　sniff　the　air　in　every　direction；　and　it
was　after　one　of　these　halts　that　he　suddenly　shuffled　off　into　the
woods。

Black　bears　generally　feed　on　berries；　nuts；　insects；　carrion；　and　the
like；　but　at　times　they　take　to　killing　very　large　animals。　In　fact；
they　are　curiously　irregular　in　their　food。　They　will　kill　deer　if
they　can　get　at　them；　but　generally　the　deer　are　too　quick。　Sheep　and
hogs　are　their　favorite　prey；　especially　the　latter；　for　bears　seem　to
have　a　special　relish　for　pork。　Twice　I　have　known　a　black　bear　kill
cattle。　Once　the　victim　was　a　bull　which　had　got　mired；　and　which　the
bear　deliberately　proceeded　to　eat　alive；　heedless　of　the　bellows　of
the　unfortunate　beast。　On　the　other　occasion；　a　cow　was　surprised　and
slain　among　some　bushes　at　the　edge　of　a　remote　pasture。　In　the
spring；　soon　after　the　long　winter　sleep；　they　are　very　hungry；　and
are　especially　apt　to　attack　large　beasts　at　this　time；　although
during　the　very　first　days　of　their　appearance；　when　they　are　just
breaking　their　fast；　they　eat　rather　sparingly；　and　by　preference　the
tender　shoots　of　green　grass　and　other　herbs；　or　frogs　and　crayfish；
it　is　not　for　a　week　or　two　that　they　seem　to　be　overcome　by　lean；
ravenous　hunger。　They　will　even　attack　and　master　that　formidable
fighter　the　moose；　springing　at　it　from　an　ambush　as　it　passesfor　a
bull　moose　would　surely　be　an　overmatch　for　one　of　them　if　fronted
fairly　in　the　open。　An　old　hunter；　whom　I　could　trust；　told　me　that　he
had　seen　in　the　snow　in　early　spring　the　place　where　a　bear　had　sprung
at　two　moose；　which　were　trotting　together；　he　missed　his　spring；　and
the　moose　got　off；　their　strides　after　they　settled　down　into　their
pace　being　tremendous；　and　showing　how　thoroughly　they　were
frightened。　Another　time　he　saw　a　bear　chase　a　moose　into　a　lake；
where　it　waded　out　a　little　distance；　and　then　turned　to　bay；　bidding
defiance　to　his　pursuer；　the　latter　not　daring　to　approach　in　the
water。　I　have　been　toldbut　cannot　vouch　for　itthat　instances　have
been　known　where　the　bear；　maddened　by　hunger；　has　gone　in　on　a　moose
thus　standing　at　bay；　only　to　be　beaten　down　under　the　water　by　the
terrible　fore…hoofs　of　the　quarry；　and　to　yield　its　life　in　the
contest。　A　lumberman　told　me　that　he　once　saw　a　moose；　evidently　much
startled；　trot　through　a　swamp；　and　immediately　afterwards　a　bear　came
up　following　the　tracks。　He　almost　ran　into　the　man；　and　was　evidently
not　in　a　good　temper；　for　he　growled　and　blustered；　and　two　or　three
times　made　feints　of　charging；　before　he　finally　concluded　to　go　off。

Bears　will　occasionally　visit　hunters'　or　lumberman's　camps；　in　the
absence　of　the　owners；　and　play　sad　havoc　with　all　that　therein　is；
devouring　everything　eatable；　especially　if　sweet；　and　trampling　into
a　dirty　mess　whatever　they　do　not　eat。　The　black　bear　does　not　average
much　more　than　a　third　the　size　of　the　grisly；　but；　like　all　its　kind；
it　varies　greatly　in　weight。　The　largest　I　myself　ever　saw　weighed　was
in　Maine；　and　tipped　the　scale　at　346　pounds；　but　I　have　a　perfectly
authentic　record　of　one　in　Maine　that　weighed　397；　and　my　friend；　Dr。
Hart　Merriam；　tells　me　that　he　has　seen　several　in　the　Adirondacks
that　when　killed　weighed　about　350。

I　have　myself　shot　but　one　or　two　black　bears；　and　these　were　obtained
under　circumstances　of　no　special　interest；　as　I　merely　stumbled　on
them　while　after　other　game；　and　killed　them　before　they　had　a　chance
either　to　run　or　show　fight。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　III。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　OLD　EPHRAIM；　THE　GRISLY　BEAR。

The　king　of　the　game　beasts　of　temperate　North　America；　because　the
most　dangerous　to　the　hunter；　is　the　grisly　bear；　known　to　the　few
remaining　old…time　trappers　of　the　Rockies　and　the　Great　Plains；
sometimes　as　〃Old　Ephraim〃　and　sometimes　as　〃Moccasin　Joe〃the　last
in　allusion　to　his　queer；　half…human　footprints；　which　look　as　if　made
by　some　mishapen　giant；　walking　in　moccasins。

Bear　vary　greatly　in　size　and　color；　no　less　than　in　temper　and
habits。　Old　hunters　speak　much　of　them　in　their　endless　talks　over　the
camp　fires　and　in　the　snow…bound　winter　huts。　They　insist　on　many
species；　not　merely　the　black　and　the　grisly　but　the　brown；　the
cinnamon；　the　gray；　the　silver…tip；　and　others　with　names　known　only
in　certain　localities；　such　as　the　range　bear；　the　roach…back；　and　the
smut…face。　But；　in　spite　of　popular　opinion　to　the　contrary；　most　old
hunters　are　very　untrustworthy　in　dealing　with　points　of　natural
history。　They　usually　know　only　so　much　about　any　given　animal　as　will
enable　them　to　kill　it。　They　study　its　habits　solely　with　this　end　in
view；　and　once　slain　they　only　examine　it　to　see　about　its　condition
and　fur。　With　rare　exceptions　they　are　quite　incapable　of　passing
judgment　upon　questions　of　specific　identity　or　difference。　When
questioned；　they　not　only　advance　perfectly　impossible　theories　and
facts　in　support　of　their　views；　but　they　rarely　even　agree　as　to　the
views　themselves。　One　hunter　will　assert　that　the　true　grisly　is　only
found　in　California；　heedless　of　the　fact　that　the　name　was　first　used
by　Lewis　and　Clarke　as　one　of　the　titles　they　applied　to　the　large
bears　of　the　plains　country　round　the　Upper　Missouri；　a　quarter　of　a
century　before　the　California　grisly　was　known　to　fame。　Another　hunter
will　call　any　big　brindled　bear　a　grisly　no　matter　where　it　is　found；
and　he　and　his　companions　will　dispute　by　the　hour　as　to　whether　a
bear　of　large；　but　not　extreme；　size　is　a　grisly　or　a　silver…tip。　In
Oregon　the　cinnamon　bear　is　a　phase　of　the　small　black　bear；　in
Montana　it　is　the　plains　variety　of　the　large　mountain　silver…tip。　I
have　myself　seen　the　skins　of　two　bears　killed　on　the　upper　waters　of
Tongue　River；　one　was　that　of　a　male；　one　of　a　female；　and　they　had
evidently　just　mated；　yet　one　was　distinctly　a　〃silver…tip〃　and　the
other　a　〃cinnamon。〃　The　skin　of　one　very　big　bear　which　I　killed　in
the　Bighorn　has　proved　a　standing　puzzle　to　almost　all　the　old　hunters
to　whom　I　have　showed　it；　rarely　do　any　two　of　them　agree　as　to
whether　it　is　a　grisly；　a　silver…tip；　a　cinnamon；　or　a　〃smut…face。〃
Any　bear　with　unusually　long　hair　on　the　spine　and　shoulders；
especially　if　killed　in　the　spring；　when　the　fur　is　shaggy；　is
forthwith　dubbed　a　〃roach…back。〃　The　average　sporting　writer　moreover
joins　with　the　more　imaginative　members　of　the　〃old　hunter〃　variety　in
ascribing　wildly　various　traits　to　these　different　bears。　One　comments
on　the　superior　prowess　of　the　roach…back；　the　explanation　being　that
a　bear　in　early　spring　is　apt　to　be　ravenous　from　hunger。　The　next
insists　that　the　California　grisly　is　the　only　really　dangerous　bear；
while　another　stoutly　maintains　that　it　does　not　compare　in　ferocity
with　what　he　calls　the　〃smaller〃　silver…tip　or　cinnamon。　And　so　on；
and　so　on；　without　end。　All　of　which　is　mere　nonsense。

Nevertheless　it　is　no　easy　task　to　determine　how　many　species　or
varieties　of　bear　actually　do　exist　in　the　United　States；　and　I　cannot
even　say　without　doubt　that　a　very　large　set　of　skins　and　skulls　would
not　show　a　nearly　complete　intergradation　between　the　most　widely
separated　individuals。　However；　there　are　certainly　two　very　distinct
types；　which　differ　almost　as　widely　from　each　other　as　a　wapiti　does
from　a　mule　deer；　and　which　exist　in　the　same　localities　in　most
heavily　timbered　portions　of　the　Rockies。　One　is　the　small　black　bear；
a　bear　which　will　average　about　two　hundred　pounds　weight；　with　fine；
glossy；　black　fur；　and　the　fore…claws　but　little　longer　than　the
hinder　ones；　in　fact　the　hairs　of　the　fore…paw　often　reach　to　their
tips。　This　bear　is　a　tree　climber。　It　is　the　only　kind　found　east　of
the　great　plains；　and　it　is　also　plentiful　in　the　forest…clad　portions
of　the　Rockies；　being　common　in　most　heavily　timbered　tracts
throughout　the　United　States。　The　other　is　the　grisly；　which　weighs
three　or　four　times　as　much　as　the　black；　and　has　a　pelt　of　coarse
hair；　which　is　in　color　gray；　grizzled；　or　brown　of　various　shades。　It
is　not　a　tree　climber；　and　the　fore…claws　are　very　long；　much　longer
than　the　hinder　ones。　It　is　found　from　the　great　plains　west　of　the
Mississippi　to　the　Pacific　coast。　This　bear　inhabits　indifferently
lowland　and　mountain；　the　deep　woods；　and　the　barren　plains　where　the
only　cover　is　the　stunted　growth　fringing　the　streams。　These　two　types
are　very　distinct　in　every　way；　and　their　differences　are　not　at　all
dependent　upon　mere　geographical　considerations；　for　t