Lewis and Clarke and the early
explorers who immediately succeeded them, as well as the first hunters
and trappers, the "Rocky Mountain men" of the early decades of the
present century, were repeatedly assailed in this manner; and not a few
of the bear hunters of that period found that it was unnecessary to take
much trouble about approaching their quarry, as the grisly was usually
prompt to accept the challenge and to advance of its own accord, as
soon as it discovered the foe. All this is changed now. Yet even at the
present day an occasional vicious old bear may be found, in some far-off
and little-trod fastness, which still keeps up the former habit of its
kind. All old hunters have tales of this sort to relate, the prowess,
cunning, strength, and ferocity of the grisly being favorite topics for
camp-fire talk throughout the Rockies; but in most cases it is not safe
to accept these stories without careful sifting.
Still it is just as unsafe to reject them all. One of my own cowboys was
once attacked by a grisly, seemingly in pure wantonness.
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