324 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



young Jim Conwoll held the light. We gained ground 

 inch by inch, and about noon, amid a general hurrah, 

 we cast down the carcase by the camp lire, where it 

 was instantly taken possession of by Bearsgrease, who 

 laid himself growling by its side. 



As we had some way to go home, we only opened 

 and cleaned her, and broke the spine, so that the car- 

 case might lay better across a horse. We reached home 

 by the evening ; I took a plunge in the river, and then 

 settled down to sleep. 



~\Vc rose refreshed the next morning ready for fur- 

 ther efforts, and concluded to try some caves that old 

 Conwell knew of. We provided ourselves with cords 

 and food, and made two large wax candles, which are 

 less disagreeable in a close cave than pine torches, give 

 a better light, and are not so liable to go out. We 

 arrived at the place in the afternoon, and found eight 

 or nine caves, from forty to eighty feet deep, but all 

 empty. We now separated to try different paths, and 

 agreed that as soon as any one found a trail, he was to 

 make a signal so that all might join in the chase. 



I found a small cave with fresh marks, but no bear. 

 On returning to the mouth, I heard the dogs, and lis- 

 tening attentively for a minute or two, I felt sure they 

 were coming towards me. Presently the noise of rush- 

 ing through breaking branches was very distinct, and at 

 last a bear broke cover. Throwing himself without 

 hesitation dpwn a precipice of about ten feet, he came 

 towards me as fast as his legs would carry him. I >tood 

 still to see how near he would come. At about fifty 

 paces distance he winded nie, stopped short in his career, 



