I 7 8 A BLACK BEAR HUNT 



jet black and in good condition ; a large diamond-shaped white sp,,t 

 in the centre of his breast. He snapped his jaws testily at tim< s, 

 revealing his large white teeth. He kept turning his tawny mu/./lr 

 in ceaseless circles, then for a few seconds at a time would sit up 

 on his haunches gathering in with his hairy paws the berrie> In 

 loved, while muttering from time to time a low whimpering growl. 

 When he had arrived within ten yards of my position I stepped 

 out and confronted him. Never have I seen such a look of sur- 

 prise in any animal before or since. Suddenly, however, into 

 the eyes there gleamed an expression of uncompromising fero< ity 

 which was frank and unmistakable. He kept striking his teeth 

 together viciously. I covered with the foresight of my rifle tl it- 

 white spot at the centre of the breast, then as I fired I saw the 

 creature reel under the blow and roll helplessly down the steep 

 hillside. Strange to say, life was not extinct, and I had to thw.irt 

 a desperate effort at escape by two more bullets before all \\.i 

 over with him. In the excitement of the melee I had not noti<e<l 

 what had become of the other bear. 



One day we emerged into the open sunshine on a b; 

 meadow cut up with tracks like a cattle ' corral*. Here bea\ 

 have formed their marvellous dams and dome-shaped houses 

 in three or four very respectable lakes, for the existence of 

 which their labours are responsible. When the last beaver 

 lake is passed a ribbon-like meadow is gained, of bright gi 

 reeds and rushes winding up among lofty hills, some of 

 which are covered by a pretty patchwork of light and dark 

 green foliage, according as birch or fir predominate ; others 

 bare enough to admit of careful inspection with the field-glass. 

 As the hills enclose the valley in a basin-like setting, Nature has 

 seemingly prepared the arena with a view to scientific stalking. 

 On the tallest mountain, dome-shaped, behind which flames the 

 sun sinking to the horizon, two black bears are plainly visible 

 through the glasses. Somehow they had killed a caribou between 

 them, and were gloating over their feast. How moments seem- 

 ingly lengthened to hours as the largest left his companion and 

 marched in our direction, where we stood waiting on the de< livitv 

 of the opposite mountain for the favourable moment to in 

 our attack ! What a depressing situation when he w.i^ In 

 to pass, with occasional snappings of dry limbs, invisible in 

 thick covert, and yet within a few yards from where u 

 at arms! Fortune, however, recompensed this discomfiture. 

 for as we made our breathless charge, whenever we emerged from 

 thick places and obtained a view we saw the other, though at 

 intervals disappearing, ever returning to the bare rock*- tli.it 



