The Grizzly, Our Greatest Wild AnimalMills, Enos A.
Philosophy
The Grizzly, Our Greatest Wild Animal
Mills, Enos A.
Grizzly bear
One Sunday afternoon one of the men in a lumber-camp rigged up a canvas
hammock from the remnants of an old tent and suspended it between two
trees. A pet grizzly who belonged at the camp watched him with curious
interest while he worked. She observed him with still greater interest
as he stretched himself out in it and began reading. When the man
deserted the hammock, she walked up to it, struck it, pushed it back and
forth with fore paws, and then began rather awkwardly to climb into it.
She had almost succeeded, when her weight upon the edge caused it to tip
over and spill her on the ground. She leaped back surprised, then walked
round the hammock, eyeing it with great curiosity. But the second
attempt at climbing into the hammock was successful, and she made a most
comical and awkward sight stretched out in it flat upon her back.
I came upon a grizzly on the heights above the timber-line watching the
progress of a forest fire. Squatted on his haunches like a dog, he was
intently watching the fire-front below. A deep roar at one place, high
leaping flames at another, a vast smoke-cloud at another caused him to
turn toward each with rapt attention. He followed with eager eyes, also,
the swiftly advancing cloud-shadows as they mysteriously rushed forward
over ridge and valley. So intent was he that none of his keen senses
warned him of my presence, though I stood near for two or three minutes,
watching him. When I called he slowly turned his head. He stared at me
in a half-dazed manner, then angrily showed his teeth. After another
second he fled like a frightened rabbit.
The actions of a fisherman were being followed with the closest
attention by a grizzly when I came along the opposite side of a narrow
cañon. The bear stood still for some minutes, all his faculties
concentrated on the fisherman. Every cast of the fly was observed with
the greatest interest. A dangling trout caused him much excitement.
Possibly the wind, touched with man-scent, finally warned him of danger.
Anyway, he suddenly came to his senses, roused himself, and ran off.
On one of my camping-trips into the mountains I carried a long yellow
slicker. Wearing this one misty, half-snowy day, I was followed by a
grizzly. Twice he evidently came close to me; although I did not see
him, I scented him. When well upon a mountain during the afternoon, I
crossed an open place in the woods where a breeze broke up the
low-drifting clouds. For a moment I beheld a much interested grizzly
near by. He stood and stared at me with all caution forgotten in his
curiosity about the long yellow coat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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