Girl Scouts in the Rockies

After following the faint trail for a short time, Julie called out, “I’m sure I heard a dog bark just now.”

“Let’s shout. Maybe Scrub’s lost and is calling to us,” explained Betty, anxiously.

“Lost! Now Betty, you don’t know that dog if you say he could be lost,” retorted Joan.

They all distinctly heard a shrill bark, now, and Tally said, “Sound like him got wild animal trapped, an’ wan’ us help.”

Finally they were near enough to hear Scrub bark and yelp in reply to the plaintive whining of some other animal. Then Tally advised the girls, “You no call Scrub when you come up. Dog look to see you, an’ animal jump on him. No say anyting, but wait an’ let Tally shoot.”

This was hard sense, and the scouts agreed to obey. Just then they reached a spot where the forest trees were not so closely grown. Tally held his rifle ready to shoot if necessary, to spare the dog’s life, but when he came out of the fringe of pines that circled the small clearing where the dog barked, he stood amazed.

The scouts deplored the fact that the camera had been left at camp, as usual, for here was a most unique picture. Scrub stood stiffly, the hair along his spine standing upright from excitement. His stub tail vibrated so swiftly that one could not see it move – it seemed a blur of action. His front legs were braced, and he was yelping and barking at two little bear cubs.

They appeared as distressed and confused as the dog. One, the larger of the two, glared at Scrub with ferocious mien and at intervals, when the dog stopped barking for time to breathe, it would charge threateningly, but never got near enough to grapple with the dog.

The smaller cub circled whiningly about a huddled mass that lay under a great pine log. It would sniff about the heap and then sit upon its little haunches and cry quiveringly. It was this wail the scouts had heard in the distance.

At times Scrub would run over to the trail whence he found his friends approaching, then the little male-cub would join his sister at the black heap, and both would whine pitifully to the mother that was insensible to their cry. The moment Scrub was aware of any movement on the part of his opponent, he would tear back to engage his enemy in another wrangle of sounds.

“Um! No wonder Scrub no come home las’ night!” laughed Tally.

“Maybe that’s why he was so excited the night before – he wanted to tell us,” ventured Joan.

“Yes, but I’m surprised that he remained, when he found we would not follow him,” added Julie.

“He may have feared we might move camp and he would be left behind,” suggested Mrs. Vernon.

“I go see why mudder don’ help cubs,” said Tally. So he started across the clearing, followed by the girls.

“Um! See – big log fall from tree jus’ when bear go un’ner,” said the Indian, pointing up at the split bough that had been severed by lightning, with its heavy end left dangling for a time. It had fallen and struck the black mother-bear just as she was passing under, and it must have instantly killed her.

“The poor little babies!” sighed Betty.

“Can’t we catch them and train them?” asked Julie, eagerly.

“Dem die sure in woods – or beastes eat ’em,” said Tally.

“Dear me, we mustn’t have that!” cried Mrs. Vernon.

“If we could only tame them and send them to the Zoo in New York – what a fine thing that would be for the Girl Scouts’ Organization. It would be quite an honor,” exclaimed Ruth.

During the unfamiliar sound and sight of the scouts, the cubs blinked fearfully at them. What new calamity was now at hand – and mother lying there so still and helpless?

Scrub was ordered away from the bears and made to mind, while Tally planned how to catch the cubs.

“I use rope an’ lasso bof,” said he.

“We’ll surround the cubs, Tally, and Scrub can keep guard so they won’t run away, while you catch them,” planned Julie.

It was an easy task to catch the little girl-cub and tie her to a tree near the mother bear. But it was another matter to catch the boy-cub. Tally threw the lasso, but it merely struck the rump of the little fellow as he turned to investigate what his sister, who had been given a chunk of cake by one of the scouts, was eating.

The cub resented the slap from the rope, and snapped at it. But Tally dragged the lasso back, coaxing the bear-cub much nearer. When the rope was caught up to coil again, the frightened little fellow raced back to the tree where his sister sat. He was so cunning in his awkward gait that the scouts laughed heartily.

This time the rope caught him truly, and he rolled over with a jerk. He clawed and snapped and yelped at the bonds that kept him from running away; and when Tally took in the rope, the cub snapped viciously at him. Then the guide had to throw his coat over the cub’s head and fall upon it to wrap him in the folds.

But the forepaws were free, so the cub used them well, trying to tear the garment away from his head. So strong was the little fellow that Tally had his hands full to finally tie him about the neck. In this fight the cub earned his name of “Snap.”

When both cubs were securely tied to the tree, Tally went over to examine the old mother-bear. The scouts followed and stood looking down upon the huge body sprawled under the heavy log.

“Her dead at once. Her not hear babies cry – or nuddin’,” explained Tally, trying to lift the log from her back.

Several of the scouts assisted and soon the tree bough was rolled away, Scrub managing to get in every one’s way during the procedure.

“Her dead mos’ two day – babies no get milk to eat,” said Tally, after examining the teats and body of the bear.

“Mebbe we coax home wid eats,” suggested he, as he glanced from mother to cubs and back again.

“Tally, I brought some candy in my pocket,” said Anne, instantly producing the sweets.

“Bear like sugar. Us lead cubs easy wid dis.”

“Tally, how can we keep this dead bear so we can have her skin, too,” now asked Julie, anxiously.

“Oh, if we could only ship home such a magnificent bear pelt, wouldn’t we be proud!” sighed Joan.

“Kin skin and bury ’um now. Come back mornin’ an’ carry to camp. Got han’ full wid two cub to-day,” grinned the Indian.

“Oh, if you boys would skin it and save it for us!” sighed several eager scouts.

So the guides sharpened their great knives that they always carried in their belts, and began work on the dead bear. The girls would have fainted at such a sight a year before, but now they stood by without a quiver and watched the Indians skin the animal.

The pelt was soon stripped from the carcass, and the former was buried deep under the log, while the latter was left for the wolves, or other animals. While Tally finished this work the scouts gathered berries to feed to the starved cubs. The latter were so famished that they eagerly ate everything given them.

All the way home the scouts took turns in holding bits of candy in front of the cubs’ noses, to make them run for it. At some of these “home-runs” the cubs got the best of it, and the scouts had to drop the candy and jump aside, or be clawed in the bears’ eagerness to get the sweets. At such times Scrub barked and jumped at the harnessed cubs, and they in turn would fight back, so there ensued a wild scene of battle until Tally got the upper hand again.

Once the cubs were in camp and caged they became tame and friendly with every one, – even Scrub failed to draw a snarl from Snap now. The smaller of the two bears was named Yap, as she was forever wanting something to eat and yapped when she could not get it.

In a few days’ time they were freed from the homemade cage and tethered to a tree during the daytime. They furnished great amusement for the scouts; and Scrub was peeved because every one showed so much attention to these horrid little brutes, while he would permit petting without a snap if his friends were so inclined.

The campers had been on this site for almost two weeks before the men mentioned that they were ready to move along. The cubs were quite tame now, and ran about camp, playing with every one who would play with them. They were fine and plump, and the scouts gave much time to the currying of their soft silky coats and to teaching them tricks.

“What do you scouts intend doing with Snap and Yap when we start on the trail again?” asked Mr. Gilroy.

“Where do you plan to go from here, Gilly?” asked Julie.

“Why, Lewis is going back now that he has secured the special specimens he came to the glaciers for,” returned Mr. Gilroy; “but we are to go along to Flat Top, where I hope to spend some time at Tyndall, you know.”

“You told me, Gill, that you wanted to visit Mills’ Moraine and hunt for glacial deposits there,” ventured Mr. Lewis.