148 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



we did, for we gathered several bushels. I do not just remember 

 how many now, but that wasn't all we got while we were gathering 

 chestnuts. One day we came to where a bear had been raking for 

 nuts and as it was only about a mile from camp I said to Bill that 

 it might be possible that if we would stay out and watch for Bruin 

 as long as we could see to shoot, we might get a shot at the 

 bear. Bill said that he preferred to let the traps do the watching 

 There was a little mist of rain falling, and just the right kind of 

 weather for Bruin to be prowling around. Some way it seemed to 

 me if we stayed and watched we would get a shot at a bear, but 

 Bill had no faith and said that I would get good and wet for my 

 trouble. I told him that if he would take what nuts I had gathered 

 along to the shanty, I would stay and watch awhile at least. 

 Bill agreed, and said that he would have a hot supper ready for me 

 when I came to camp. I suggested to Bill that he have the frying 

 pan hot when I got there, for I would bring in some bear meat 

 for supper. Bill said that I need not bother to skin his, as he 

 would eat his hair and all. 



As soon as Bill was gone I selected a point where I could see 

 down the hill, as well as over a good stretch of the top of the 

 ridge. I had only fairly picked my ground to watch when 1 heard 

 the brush crack close to me from behind. My gun came to my 

 shoulder as I turned in the direction of the noise, and there stood 

 Bill a-grinning. I asked him what had changed his mind. He siid 

 that if I could stand it he could, so he stepped along the rid^e a 

 few yards and I leaned up against a large hemlock tree. He had 

 scarcely taken his stand when all of a sudden I saw him be^in to 

 slowly raise his gun to his shoulder. I knew that he was about to 

 shoot at something, but thought it must be a deer. I thought that 

 I ought to shout and scare it away, for I thought that Bill hid 

 come back on purpose to beat me out of the sport, and I guessed 

 right. Bill said after he had started to camp it seemed to him 

 that he had done wrong in leaving me to watch alone, and that I 

 would kill a bear. So he turned back and got there just in time 

 so as not to frighten the bear away, as well as to shoot it, which 

 was a yearling and weighed about 125 pounds, with a fine pelt. 



