286 The Wilderness Htmter. 



margin of a pond, or in the oozy moss of a clear, cold 

 mountain spring. One hot August afternoon, as I was 

 clambering down a steep mountain-side near Pend'Oreille 

 lake, I heard a crash some distance below, which showed 

 that a large beast was afoot. On making my way towards 

 the spot, I found I had disturbed a big bear as it was 

 lolling at ease in its bath ; the discolored water showed 

 where it had scrambled hastily out and galloped off as I 

 approached. The spring welled out at the base of a high 

 granite rock, forming a small pool of shimmering broken 

 crystal. The soaked moss lay in a deep wet cushion round 

 about, and jutted over the edges of the pool like a floating 

 shelf. Graceful, water-loving ferns swayed to and fro. 

 Above, the great conifers spread their murmuring branches, 

 dimming the light, and keeping out the heat ; their brown 

 boles sprang from the ground like buttressed columns. 

 On the barren mountain-side beyond the heat was op- 

 pressive. It was small wonder that Bruin should have 

 sought the spot to cool his gross carcass in the fresh 

 spring water. 



The bear is a solitary beast, and although many may 

 assemble together, in what looks like a drove, on some 

 favorite feeding-ground — usually where the berries are 

 thick, or by the banks of a salmon-thronged river — the 

 association is never more than momentary, each going its 

 own way as soon as its hunger is satisfied. The males 

 always live alone by choice, save in the rutting season, 

 when they seek the females. Then two or three may come 

 together in the course of their pursuit and rough courtship 

 of the female ; and if the rivals are well matched, savage 



