The Pegtrack Grizzly of Feather River was rarely seen by any. He was
enveloped in mysterious terror. He moved and killed by night. Pigs
were his favorite food, and he had also killed a number of men.
But Pedro's Grizzly was the most marvelous. "Hassayampa," as the
sheep-herder was dubbed, came one night to Kellyan's hut.
"I tell you he's still dere. He has keel me a t'ousand sheep. You
telled me you keel heem; you haff not. He is beegare as dat tree. He
eat only sheep--much sheep. I tell you he ees Gringo devil--he ees
devil Bear. I haff three cows, two fat, one theen. He catch and keel
de fat; de lean run off. He roll een dust--make great dust. Cow come
for see what make dust; he catch her an' keel. My fader got bees. De
devil Bear chaw pine; I know he by hees broke toof. He gum hees face
and nose wit' pine gum so bees no sting, then eat all bees. He devil
all time. He get much rotten manzanita and eat till drunk--locoed--then
go crazy and keel sheep just for fun. He get beeg bull by nose and
drag like rat for fun. He keel cow, sheep, and keel Face, too, for
fun. He devil. You promise me you keel heem; you nevaire keel."
This is a condensation of Pedro's excited account.
And there was yet one more--the big Bear that owned the range from the
Stanislaus to the Merced, the "Monarch of the Range" he had been
styled. He was believed--yes, known to be--the biggest Bear alive, a
creature of supernatural intelligence.
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