84 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER.- 



"That's our business, but what are you here for?" Then they 

 said that one of the men had seen the track the evening before 

 and as there was no one after it, they had come out to follow 

 up the track and kill the bear. They insisted on going after the 

 bear but after some talk we convinced them that we did not need 

 any help and they turned back. 



We took up the trail and followed it pretty lively for a time, 

 as we did not know but those men would cut around and take 

 the trail ahead of us, though they did not do so. We were now 

 on the waters of Potato Creek and there was a good deal of laurel 

 and here we found the first place that Bruin had stopped and 

 made a bed. 



It is usually the case that a bear that has a trap on his foot 

 will not travel any great distance before they stop and make a 

 bed and then move a short distance and make another bed. Bruin 

 now began to act more natural, to his family. We began to think 

 that we would soon come to fresh signs at least, but were disap- 

 pointed for we did not follow the trail far, after we came onto his 

 bed before two men's tracks fell in and took up the trail. 



After follbwing for some time on the trail of the men and 

 bear, we came to where the bear had made another stop and we 

 could see that the bear's track was much fresher showing that 

 it had stopped some time. We expected that the. men would divide 

 here, one taking the trail while the other worked on the side, but 

 both men continued on the same trail. After following the trail 

 for three or four hundred yards farther, we came onto another 

 bed and this time the bear went out on the jump and Bill said 

 some cuss words about the men. It is possible that I did too. 



The trail here turned north. This took us into a section more 

 thickly settled and hunters more numerous. The greater part of 

 the time there was from one to two men on the trail ahead of us 

 and all that was left for us to do was to follow on as fast as 

 we could. The second night we were on the head of Salt Run 

 and we followed the trail till dark. We now had the bear trail 

 to follow instead of the men as all the men had left to go to their 

 camps or homes. Bill said that we would sleep "dash-dang" close 

 to 'the trail after this, so we soon found a large log to build a 



