The winter had set in early, and with unusual severity, when I reached Logville, the appropriate name given to the little mining camp which hid itself away in the vast wilderness2 of the Rocky Mountains. A roving disposition3, combined with a love of sport, and a desire to put on canvas some record of the wonderful scenery of the locality, had guided my steps to this out-of-the-world spot.
One morning when the winter was beginning to break, and the snow to show signs of disappearing—sure evidence that the severe weather was passing away—I slung4 my cloak and a bag of provisions across my shoulders, seized my rifle, and set forth5 on a solitary6 stroll. I had gone some considerable distance from the camp when a sudden darkening of the sky told me only too plainly of an approaching storm. Fearful of being caught in the downpour, I began to retrace7 my steps.
Scarcely had I commenced my homeward journey when a sudden cry caused me to come to an abrupt8 standstill. A few moments of intense stillness followed. I listened attentively9, surveying the surrounding landscape on all sides with the close scrutiny11 of an experienced hunter, who had enjoyed many a lesson from the Indians. The piled-up rocks, scanty12 herbage, leafless and motionless trees gave no sign of life. No sound broke the intense solitude13. Then, with startling suddenness, another cry, louder and more agonising than the former, echoed across the waste, and this was followed by a deep significant growl14.
I knew at once that the voice was that of a human being, and I knew equally well that the growl proceeded from a bear. I had heard that a big “grizzly” had been seen in the neighbourhood, and that a party had been organised to track him to his lair15, but had failed to come to close quarters with the wily old fellow.
As these thoughts shaped themselves in my mind there came a shrill16 and piercing shriek17 which set every nerve in my body tingling18. It was the scream of a woman in mortal terror.
I shouldered, my rifle and turned in the direction from which the sounds proceeded.
Descending19 a steep cliff, I found myself in a narrow canon through which a mountain stream, swollen20 by the melting snow, rushed with considerable rapidity. The first object that caught my eye was a woman carrying a child and struggling through the foaming21 torrent22. Then I observed, some little distance to the rear, but following with incredible rapidity, an enormous black bear. He measured at least nine feet from his nose to the tip of his tail, and was broad in proportion. Though of enormous size, he progressed at a speed which was surprising. Something had evidently irritated the brute23 considerably24, for his whole appearance was characteristic of unrestrained ferocity.
I dragged the panting fugitive25 from the water and, without asking any questions, advanced to the bank of the stream and prepared to take aim. Whether my gentleman had at some period of his life been so closely associated with the barrel of a sporting-rifle that he understood the significance of my movement, I know not; but certain it is that as soon as I raised the weapon, the bear first of all reared himself on his hind26 quarters, displaying his long narrow muzzle27 adorned28 with an assortment29 of ugly fangs30, and then uttering a loud noise, curiously31 resembling the heavy breathing of a human being, he fell down on all-fours and retreated behind a convenient boulder32, over the top of which his little eyes gleamed fiercely every now and again.
The woman, who proved to be the wife of the innkeeper at whose “hotel” I was sojourning, was shivering with the cold, and her wet garments were rapidly congealing33 in the keen frosty air. Her little girl was crying pitifully with the cold and fright.
It was a question whether I should remain and finish off Bruin or hurry my companions homeward at a fast trot34. I decided35 to adopt the latter course.
“The bear can wait,” I said, as I turned away; “I’ll settle him another day.”
We turned our steps in the direction of the camp, and for some distance walked in silence. Then of a sudden a plaintive36 moan from the child reminded me that the wee mite37 and her mother, soaked with wet, were, in the cutting air, rapidly assuming the condition of living icicles. Fortunately I had a flask38 with me, and, telling the exhausted39 and shivering woman to sit down, I rested my rifle against a stump40 of a tree and proceeded to prepare a dose of brandy, at the same time cheering her with words of encouragement.
“We are not far from home now,” I said, “and—”
I did not finish the sentence, for a movement behind caused me to turn round. To my utter astonishment41 and horror I found myself face to face with my old friend, or rather enemy. He had evidently followed with stealthy steps, the snow acting42 as a carpet to deaden his heavy footsteps.
My first idea was to give the intruder a dose of cold lead, but that I soon discovered was out of the question, for the bear had calmly appropriated my rifle, which lay beneath his paws.
It seemed to me indeed that his ugly face bore a look of triumph as he crouched43 over the weapon, and, judging from the blinking of his eyes, he seemed humanly conscious that, having become possessed44 of my trusty and deadly friend, he had me completely in his power. To obtain possession of the weapon was out of the question; it would have been fatal to attempt it.
Motioning the woman to seize the child and hurry forward without me, I prepared to rout45 the enemy by some means other than powder and shot. What means I intended to adopt I frankly46 admit I had not the remotest idea. The incident, so unexpected, so strange, took me completely by surprise, and it was some moments before I recovered my senses and presence of mind. Then I remembered that grizzlies47, despite their huge bulk and ferocious48 tempers, are curiously alarmed by noise.
I had even heard that they had been driven off, with their tails between their legs, by the mere49 beating of a tin can. With this idea in my mind I hastily produced the metal cup of my flask, and striking it furiously with the hilt of my hunting-knife, I continued to produce a din10 which ought to have taken effect upon my four-footed adversary50. I am sorry to say it did not, however. Uttering the curious sound peculiar51 to grizzlies, the brute made as though it would approach still closer.
The bear was somewhat lean after his long winter’s sleep in some hole scooped52 out of the earth, whither he had retired53 with a substantial coating of fat upon him, as a protection against the chills of winter.
The nap had gradually reduced the thickness of this protection and now the hungry animal, weary of search for berries and roots, contemplated54 me with a look which seemed to express that a morsel55 of something more substantial would not be out of place.
I commenced to retire cautiously, but I had not taken many steps when there came a flash, followed by a sudden report, and I staggered and fell on my knees—shot in the leg.
The bear had accidentally pulled the trigger of my gun, and the bullet intended for him had found instead a billet in poor me. I tried to staunch the wound with my handkerchief, but the blood flowed freely, and I soon began to feel exhausted.
I felt my knees quivering and giving way beneath me, and a deadly faintness crept over me. A mist came over my eyes, and I seemed to sink into a deep sleep, the landscape slowly vanishing, and even the big bear standing56 up before me disappearing in the darkness which enveloped57 everything.
The rescuing party sent in search discovered me, still breathing, the thick snow into which I had fallen having congealed58 over my wound and stopped the flow of blood.
The bear had fled without touching59 me, the report of the rifle having apparently60 proved too much for his nerves. He did not live long, however, for the following day he was tracked to his underground home, and there despatched. His skin is among my most cherished trophies61, and I never look at it without remembering my first and last encounter with a grizzly.
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1
grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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13
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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14
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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15
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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tingling
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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19
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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25
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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30
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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32
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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33
congealing
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| v.使凝结，冻结( congeal的现在分词 )；（指血）凝结 | |
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34
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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35
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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38
flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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40
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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41
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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42
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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43
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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45
rout
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| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
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46
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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47
grizzlies
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| 北美洲灰熊( grizzly的名词复数 ) | |
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48
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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49
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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50
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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51
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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52
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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53
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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54
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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55
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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56
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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57
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
congealed
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| v.使凝结，冻结( congeal的过去式和过去分词 )；（指血）凝结 | |
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59
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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60
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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61
trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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