Big Game Shooting 253 



A bear-hunter I used to know well told me a 

 story that sounds apocryphal, but which I firmly 

 believe. He employed an Indian, who always ac- 

 companied him. One fine mornmg the pa« sighted 

 a large wapiti, which they shot and wounded. The 

 Indian took the trail; but the hunter, knowing the 

 habits of wounded deer, took a short cut across 

 some hills, hoping to get another shot at the wapiti 

 as it crossed a certain divide. He reached the 

 divide and climbed a tree. Presently the wapiti 

 came slowly up the steep slope ; the Indian followed 

 knife in hand; and then, behind the Indian, not 

 forty yards intervening, waddled a huge bear. So 

 intent was the Indian upon his quarry that he w a 

 unaware that he, in his turn, was being tracked ti 

 a bullet from the trapper's rifle whistled past his 

 head and laid the bear low. 



It is certainly imprudent to tackle grizzly, silver- 

 tip or cinnamon bears on foot and alone, particu- 

 lar'y in the brush thickets to which they nearly 

 invariably retreat. Many a seasoned trapper has 

 been killed or horribly mangled because he had 

 ■ the temerity to follow a wounded bear mto the 

 taparral. 'two men, side by side, can stop any 

 bear- but beware the braggart who undertakes to 

 show you bear and to help you kill them. I saw 

 one of these fellows take to his heels at a critical 

 Iment, and he had previously boasted of slaying 

 three grizzlies, single-handed, in one morning ! Upon 

 strength of this statement we engaged him as guide 

 anTprotector. He never knew that we came withm 

 an ace of shooting him as he ^^^.ttled away 



It would be as well to particularly mention at 



