fire off his rifle. More rarely a bear which is both vicious and crafty
deliberately permits the hunter to approach fairly near to, or perhaps
pass by, its hiding-place, and then suddenly charges him with such
rapidity that he has barely time for the most hurried shot. The danger
in such a case is of course great.

Ordinarily, however, even in the brush, the bear's object is to slink
away, not to fight, and very many are killed even under the most
unfavorable circumstances without accident. If an unwounded bear thinks
itself unobserved it is not apt to attack; and in thick cover it is
really astonishing to see how one of these large animals can hide, and
how closely it will lie when there is danger. About twelve miles below
my ranch there are some large river bottoms and creek bottoms covered
with a matted mass of cottonwood, box-alders, bull-berry bushes,
rosebushes, ash, wild plums, and other bushes. These bottoms have
harbored bears ever since I first saw them; but, though often in company
with a large party, I have repeatedly beaten through them, and though we
must at times have been very near indeed to the game, we never so much
as heard it run.

When bears are shot, as they usually must be, in open timber or on the
bare mountain, the risk is very much less. Hundreds may thus be killed
with comparatively little danger; yet even under these circumstances
they will often charge, and sometimes make their charge good. The spice
of danger, especially to a man armed with a good repeating rifle,
is only enough to add zest to the chase, and the chief triumph is in
outwitting the wary quarry and getting within range. Ordinarily the only
excitement is in the stalk, the bear doing nothing more than keep a keen
look-out and manifest the utmost anxiety to get away. As is but natural,
accidents occasionally occur; yet they are usually due more to some