Читать книгу The Grizzly, Our Greatest Wild Animal - Enos A. Mills - Страница 3

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It would make exciting reading if a forty-year-old grizzly bear were to write his autobiography. Beginning with the stories from his mother of the long and exciting journey of his ancestors from far-off Asia and of her own struggle in bringing up her family, and then telling of his own adventurous life and his meetings with men and with other animals, he could give us a book of highly dramatic quality. Just what a wise old grizzly would say while philosophizing concerning the white race would certainly be of human interest and rich in material for literature.

A vigorous, courageous adventurer himself, and a keen and constant observer, the grizzly would have clear-cut views concerning the explorers, early settlers, and hunters. The arrival of the early white people aroused his extraordinary inherent curiosity. He watched them with wondering eyes. He was even inclined to walk right into camp to make their acquaintance. He had no evil intentions, but he was greeted with yells and bullets. Relentlessly down through the years he was pursued. Dogs, guns, poison, and traps have swept a majority of the grizzlies away. Their retreat was masterly and heroic, but the odds were overwhelming.

In the midst of this terrible hunt the Yellowstone wild-life reservation was established. Instantly the grizzly understood, years before other big animals did, and in its protection at once came forth from hiding, eager to be friendly with man. I should like to know his wonderings concerning this place of refuge—why its creation, why its mysterious, invisible boundary-lines, and why, outside of it, the fierce, never-ending pursuit for him has still gone on, until his noble species is verging on extinction.

What, too, are his feelings over the increased friendly interest in his species all over the nation? How excitedly must he catch the echoes of discussions which are telling that he has been misunderstood, that he is not a bad fellow! And surely, if writing, he will pause abruptly when he hears that the public, and even the hunter, is making efforts to have the hunt for him checked—learns that there may early be a close season on the grizzly bear.

During the past thirty years I have had numerous experiences with the grizzly bear in various sections of his territory. In it I have camped alone and unarmed. I have trailed the grizzly without a gun. I have repeatedly been outwitted by him, but never has he attacked me. I have not found him ferocious, and I consider him in most respects the greatest animal on the North American continent, if not in the world. He excels in mental development and physical prowess, and he possesses the rare quality of loyalty. He is full of curiosity and is a born adventurer. The species impresses one with its superiority, and the individuality of each grizzly ever stands out.

The material in this book is drawn chiefly from my own experiences with grizzly bears in the wilderness. Ten of the chapters have not before appeared in print. The author acknowledges with thanks the courtesy of the editors of the Saturday Evening Post in granting permission to reprint from that magazine parts of three chapters contained in this book; and to the editors of The American Boy for two chapters reprinted herein. Dr. C. Hart Merriam has kindly consented to the reproduction of a part of his comment on the grizzly and big brown bears, together with his up-to-date classification of them. This valuable material represents the work of years.

E. A. M.