Jeff Martin’s next meeting with the Monarch was in the Big Tejunga.  He and his son Jesse were hunting deer along the side of the canyon, when they saw a big bear in the brush about a hundred yards up the hill.  Both fired at the same moment and one ball at least hit the bear.  Uttering a roar of pain, the grizzly snapped viciously at his shoulder where the bullet struck, and as he turned his head he saw the two hunters, who then recognized the Monarch by his huge bulk and grizzled front.  The Monarch came with a rush like an avalanche down the mountain side, breaking through the manzanita brush and smashing down young trees as easily as a man tramples down grass.  His lowered head offered no fair mark for a bullet, and he came on with such speed that only a chance shot could have hit him anywhere.  Jeff and his son Jess did not try 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.