CHAPTER XV.
A GRIZZLY BEAR.
Ebenezer Onthank was an early riser. He had been brought up on a farm,where, during a part of the year it was the custom for the "menfolks" torise between four and five o'clock in the morning to begin the labors ofthe day. His old habit clung to him, and at five o'clock, when Tom andFerguson were yet asleep, Mr. Onthank sprang from his leafy couchrefreshed and vigorous.
Seeing his companions yet sleeping, he concluded to take a walk.
"It'll give me an appetite for breakfast," thought he, "and a chance tosee something of the country."
As to the appetite, Ebenezer was generally well provided. Indeed,latterly his appetite had exceeded his means of gratifying it, and morethan once he had longed to be back at his old home in the Vermontfarm-house, where the table was always generously, if not elegantly,furnished. If Ebenezer had a special weakness it was for doughnuts,which he called nut-cakes.
"If I only had a few of marm's nut-cakes," he had said the night beforeto his new-found friends, "I'd be a happy man."
"What are nut-cakes?" asked the Scotchman, puzzled.
"Don't you know what nut-cakes are?" inquired Ebenezer, astonished atFerguson's ignorance.
"I never heard of them before," said Ferguson.
"Well, I declare! I thought everybody knew what nut-cakes are,"ejaculated the Yankee. "Don't you ever make 'em in Scotland?"
"Not that I ever heard."
"Then you don't know what is good. You know what they are, Tom?"
"Oh, yes," said Tom, smiling. "We often have them at home. Perhaps Mr.Ferguson would understand better if he heard them called doughnuts orcrullers."
Thus defined Mr. Ferguson acknowledged that he had heard of them, and hethought he had once tasted one. Scotland, however, fell considerably inthe estimation of Mr. Onthank, when he learned that his favorite articleof food was almost unknown in that distant country.
"You Scotchmen don't know what is good," he said. "If you ever come toGreen Mountain Mills, I'll get marm to fry a batch of nut-cakes, andyou'll say they're goloptious."
This last word was not familiar to Ferguson, but the smack of the lipswith which it was accompanied made it sufficiently intelligible. Heassured Ebenezer politely that he hoped some day to accept his kindinvitation.
When Ebenezer left the camp he had no definite plan of exploration.Everything was alike new to him, and it mattered little in whatdirection his steps led him. It was a charming morning. The sun hadrisen, and hill and valley were glorified by its slanting rays. The airwas bracing, and Ebenezer, though neither a poet nor a sentimentalist,felt his spirits rise, as with vigorous steps he strode on, letting hiseyes wander at will over the landscape.
"Looks kinder han'some," he said to himself. "I wish Susan Jones waswith me now. Gals like to walk round and look at scenery, and pickflowers, and so on. As for me, a good field of corn suits me better thanall the flowers in the world. They're only good to smell of; out herethough I'd like a good 'claim' best. It seems cu'rus to think how muchmoney you can get sometimes from a hole in the ground. Beats cornfieldsfor profit, by a great sight, if you only get hold of the right place. Ijust wish I could find a big nugget, as big as my head. I guess it wouldmake me the richest man in Green Mountain Mills. I'd be a bigger manthan the old deacon. They'd be glad to make me selectman, and perhapssend me to Montpelier after a while to make laws. Well, there's noknowin' what may turn up. Why shouldn't I light on a nugget as well asthe next man?"
In this pleasant channel the thoughts of our Yankee adventurer wererunning as he strode over the uneven ground, with all the vigor gainedby his hardy training. But his walk was destined to be interrupted in adecidedly unpleasant manner. All at once he became conscious of a hugeobject, scarcely thirty yards distant, whose attention he had alreadyattracted. Mr. Onthank had been long enough in California to recognizein the huge, unwieldy figure--a grizzly bear!
Ebenezer Onthank was no coward, but it must be admitted that when he sawthe eyes of the grizzly fixed upon him he turned pale, and his limbstrembled. He had heard from fellow-miners stories of the great strengthand ferocity of this most formidable beast. The grizzly bear shows nofear of man. He is always ready to make an attack, even when notstimulated by hunger. Even the lion is crafty and cunning, and likes toattack his enemy unawares; but the grizzly boldly advances to the attackwithout seeking to surprise his adversary. If out of humor it makes noaccount of odds, but will as readily attack a party as a single foe.Col. Albert S. Evans, the author of an interesting volume, containingsketches of life in California, says, "I am satisfied that an averagegrizzly could at any time whip the strongest African lion in a fairstand-up fight, while a full-grown bull is no more to him than a rat isto the largest house-cats."
Twenty-five years ago the grizzly was to be found in various parts ofCalifornia. As the State has become settled his haunts have becomecontracted, but even now, as the writer just quoted assures us, he isstill found in great numbers in the Coast Range Mountains from San Diegoto Del Norte. In describing Samson, a famous specimen once on exhibitionin San Francisco, we are told that "his strength was that of anelephant, and his claws, eight inches in length, curved like a rainbowand sharp as a knife, would enable him to tear open anything made offlesh and blood as you or I would open a banana."
Such was the new acquaintance who confronted Mr. Onthank, and barredhis progress.
"Jerusalem!" ejaculated the surprised and dismayed Yankee, and heinstinctively felt for his rifle. But, alas! he had left it in the camp.It was thoughtless and imprudent to venture out unarmed; but the scenewas so quiet and peaceful that no thought of danger had entered the mindof our unlucky friend.
The bear sat upon his haunches, and stared at the intruder. Ebenezer,brought to a stand-still, returned his gaze. They were less than ahundred feet apart, and the situation was decidedly critical.
"I guess he wants to chaw me up for his breakfast," thought Ebenezer,despairingly, "and I don't see what I can do to prevent it."
The bear, however, seemed in no hurry to commence the attack. Hesurveyed our Yankee with dignified gravity, conscious that he had him atadvantage. When Ebenezer felt for his rifle he uttered a low growl,being possibly aware of his purpose. Possibly he laughed in his sleeve(some of my young critics may suggest that bears have no sleeves) at hisfailure.
Ebenezer looked about him despairingly. No man will surrender atdiscretion to a grizzly, for he can hope for no mercy. But what could bedone? Once subjected to the terrible hug, and the life would be crushedout of him in less than a minute.
"If Ferguson and Tom were only here!" thought poor Ebenezer.
But the camp was at least two miles away, and his two companions,unconscious of his terrible peril, were calmly sleeping, and not likelyto awaken till he was a crushed and bleeding corpse.
In great crises the mind travels rapidly. I shall not attempt to recordthe thoughts that chased one another through the mind of the lucklessadventurer. But they were by no means pleasant.
"I shall never see Green Mountain Mills again," he thought, with aninward groan. "I shall never marry Susan Jones, or eat any of marm'snut-cakes. If I only had my rifle here, I'd make one effort for my life.I'd spoil the beauty of that ugly devil anyhow."
Still, as if charmed, he stood staring open-eyed at the grizzly.
Bruin, deciding that this had lasted long enough, began in a slow anddignified manner to approach the intruder upon his solitude.
This broke the charm. With a wild shout Ebenezer Onthank took to hisheels and flew over the ground at a rate of speed which Weston, thechampion runner, would scarcely be able to equal.
The grizzly accepted the challenge, and increased his own speed,developing an activity hardly to be expected of his huge and unwieldyform.
It was man against beast, with the odds decidedly in the favor of thelatter.