MY FIRST GRIZZLY.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2663, 9 June 1908, Page 7

MY FIRST GRIZZLY.

A BEAR (NOT TO SAY BALD)

STORY.

We had been out from camp—Jim and I—for three days, and the whisky was getting low. • We had first emptied both our flasks into the cof-fee-pot, pooling our remaining stock, and were going to make an even divide, when the bear came in.

lie had not been invited, nor did he knock as he came in. He just came strolling out of the brush, in a listless distingue way, up to the camp-fire. Wo rose, of course. It is the inVariable custom in the mountains, when a bear joins a party unexpectedly, for the members of the party to rise. If the bear is a small one. it is not considered necessary to rise higher than the lowest bran-ches-some seven or eight feet ; but on the approach of a grizzly or a lnrme cinnamon it is customary to rise five or six feet higher. Social etiquette is very strict on these points.

This was a grizzly, so we did not stay even to look for our guns, but rose at once about twenty feet.

He hardly acknowledged our courtesy—just the bearest recognition—and then proceeded to take an inventory of our outfit. It was not long before he struck the whisky. Then he sat down to make a night of it. ."Jake." said Jim, calling across from his tree to mine, "1 poured my whisky into the pot first, didn't I ?" "Yes." "So my share's at the bottom, and it's your half he's drinking now, ain't it?" It was a low-down way for Jim to talk, audi felt like dropping out of my tree and climbing up to thrash him. But 1 didn't.

Soon the liquor began to tell on the bear, as wc could sec from his hiccoughs and the unsteady look in hip eye. Then he (the bear) began overhauling our packs. Soon he came to my sparq overalls, and; diving his forepaw into the pocket, pulled out an old pawn-ticket and a key. The ticket had run out. so he threw it away. Then ho grabbed the key, picking up my hat and putting it on over one ,ear. staggered across to the foot of Jim's tree, and commenced jabbing the key into the crevices of the bark.

"Looking for the keyhole, by all that's holy !" said Jim, as he drew his legs up a couple of feet higher. Presently the bear dropped the key into the grass, and tried to look as if he had done it on purpose. Then he saw my rubber boots, and you should have heard him laugh as he grabbed them ! Then he sat down on his haunches and began to pull the boots on. But he had his back turned to me now : so. while he was wrestling, trying to put his left foot into the right boot. 1 just dropped from my tree and reached for a rifle. Fie must have heard me drop, and I hardly had hold of the gun before he was up and lacing me. It was an awful moment ! Scarcely ten fret, separated me from the Monarch of the Mountains —the Terror of the Forests ! His eyes seamed to fash living lire in the blaze of the burning logs, and in the flickering light his teeth—those teeth which, if my muscles trembled at the critical moment, would soon'be bathed in mv 1 ife-blood*-looked doubly terrible. For an instant there \vas # a deathlike hush as we stood faring each other in the lurid firelight. \Ve both Knew thai it was war to the death. Then he rose in all his rugged majesty. lie came towards me—slowly, terribly. 1 could almost feel his hot breath on my hands. The supreme moment had arrived. My linger was already pressing the trigger. lie opened his mouth. "Let 'er—hie—go !" he growled. with his last hiccough. Arid I did.—'Scraps."