140 



FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



the snow to settle a little. On the way back to camp we looked at 

 two or three bear traps and found a small bear in one of the traps, 

 and the last bear that we got during the season. 



We now began to take in the bear traps as we came near one 

 on the way to, camp. The snow was so deep we were obliged to 

 reset the most of the small traps, although we had when setting 

 out the traps taken every precaution to set in such places as would 

 afford them all the shelter possible. After tending all the traps 

 again, we went once more to see if we could route the lame bear. 

 We spent two days searching the windfall in every quarter, but 

 were unable to find a trace of the track. We were quite positive 

 that she was still somewhere in the jam, but the snow had fallen 

 so deep that it had completely obliterated all signs. 



Two years later I was one of a party that killed a bear and 

 captured her two cubs. The old bear had one foot gone. I am 

 quite sure that it was the one that had escaped from our traps. 



We now put in the time hunting deer and looking after the 

 small traps until about the first of January, when we pulled all of 

 our traps and went home. This ended my hunting with William 

 Earl, one of the best pards that I ever hit the trail with, or 

 followed a trap line. Bill left these parts and went back east to 

 his native state, and after a time I lost all trace of him. 



