ry any experiments of that kind, but dropped their rifles and
shinned up a tree as fast as they could. They were none too rapid, as
Jeff left a piece of one bootleg in the Monarch's possession. The
Monarch was not a bear to fool away much time on a man up a tree, and
as soon as he discovered that the hunters were out of reach he went
away and disappeared in the brush. The two men came down, picked up
their guns and decided to have another shot at the Monarch if they
could find him. They knew better than to go into the brush after a
bear, but they hunted cautiously about the edges for some time. They
were sure that the Monarch was still in there, but they could not
ascertain at what point. Jeff went around to windward of the brush
patch and set fire to it, and then joined Jess on the leeward side to
watch for the reappearance of the Monarch. The wind was blowing fresh
up the canyon and the fire ran rapidly through the dry brush, making a
thick smoke and great noise. When the Monarch came out he came rapidly
and from an unexpected quarter, and the two hunters had just time
enough to break for their tree again and get out of reach.

This time the Monarch did not leave them. He sat down at the foot of
the tree and watched with malicious patience. The wind increased and
the fire spread on all sides, and in a few minutes it became
uncomfortably warm up the tree. The bear kept on the side of the tree
opposite the advancing fire and waited for the men to come down. Jeff
and Jess got a little protection from the heat by hugging the leeward
side of the trunk, but it became evident that the tree would soon be in
a blaze, and unless they jumped and ran within the next minute or two
they would be surrounded by fire. They hoped that the Grizzly would
weaken first, but he showed no signs of an intention to leave. When
the flames began crawling up the windward side of the tree and the heat
became unbearable, Jeff said:

"Jess, which would you rather take chances on, Grizzly or fire?"

"Dad, I think I'll chance the bear," replied Jess, covering his face
with his arm.

"All right. When I say go, jump and run as though you were scooting
through hell with a keg of powder under your arm."

Jeff and Jess crawled out on the limbs and swung by their hands for a
moment, and at the word they dropped to the ground within ten feet of
the bear and lit out like scared wolves. They broke right through the
burning brush, getting t