Next he appeared to be trying to walk the log. When he was almost on it,
the log rolled and with a splash the grizzly fell into the water on his
side. For a second he lost sight of the log, or pretended that he had,
and took swift glances this way and that. As it bumped into his
up-stream side, he seized it with feigned surprise. Then he took it to
the bank in shallow water, mauling it about, biting and gnawing at it.
As the log rolled from side to side, he swam around it, batting it and
pushing it under.
A number of Clarke nutcrackers and magpies had collected and in
astonishment watched the exhibition. Ordinarily a nutcracker is noisy in
autumn, screaming and chuckling loudly and harshly. But these were
motionless and silent as they watched. A passing magpie whirled aside to
see the show, and was just alighting on the bank when the bear splashed
water wildly with a sweeping stroke at the log. With confused haste the
magpie retreated. Taking a stand on a solitary spruce which leaned over
the bank, he watched the scene without a move. The other birds, equally
intent, watched from a high-water log-jam among large near-by bowlders.
At last the grizzly secured the log just under water. Standing upon it
with hind feet, he reached down with both fore paws and went through an
up-and-down motion like a washerwoman. Then he left the log and walked
along the bank, keeping watch of it as it floated slowly down stream. It
gradually pulled off from the bank. When it was about ten feet away he
leaped playfully after it with feet outspread like those of a flying
squirrel. Letting it drift again, he watched it intently as it was swept
into the current and floated away in midstream. By swimming and wading
he kept alongside for some distance, then put one fore paw upon it.
Perhaps he was about to start something new, but just then he scented
something over his right shoulder.
Releasing the log, he climbed upon a bowlder that projected above the
water. On hind feet, interested and curious, he stood gazing for some
seconds. Evidently desiring more information, he started ashore and
never looked back at the log hurrying away down the rapids.
I found afterwards that the grizzly had rolled the log into the water a
short distance up stream from where I came upon him. The log was a
sound section of a spruce that had broken off when the tree fell among
bowlders and lay on the bank a few feet from the water. The bear had
come down stream, and in passing ten or twelve feet from the log had
turned aside to it. He may have rolled it over to see if there were
insects beneath, but, accidentally or intentionally, he had rolled it
into the water.