152 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



When I inquired what had kept him out all night, he said 

 that he got so big a job on his hands that he could not get to 

 camp. Bill said that he had got about half way down the side 

 of the hill from the ridge leading down into the Conley River, 

 when he jumped a buck, which Bill said slid down the hill like 

 a greased rag. He fired at the pile and happened to catch him 

 well back to the hips. The deer being wounded through the small 

 intestines made it very sick, but it was still able to lead Bill a 

 merry chase. Bill had been working from the middle of the 

 forenoon until about three o'clock in the afternoon before he was 

 able to get in a finishing shot on the buck. While following the 

 deer, he had come near one of the places where we had a bear 

 trap set and found that a bear had been caught. He followed 

 the trail a little ways, and as it led in an opposite direction from 

 that taken by the deer, .Bill said he thought he would finish one 

 job at a time, so he continued after the deer. 



Before Bill was able to get in the finishing shot on the deer, 

 it had swung around in the direction of the trail of the bear, so 

 that when Bill finally got the buck, he knew that he could not 

 be far from the trail of the bear. He hung up the saddles of the 

 deer, which he had started to take to camp, and let the bear rest 

 until the next morning. After hanging up the saddles he didn't 

 search long until he found the trail of the bear, and followed 

 the trail only a little ways, when he found Bruin fast in a clump 

 of brush. Bill then killed the bear, and taking out the entrails, 

 rolled the carcass up over a log and again started for camp with 

 the deer saddles. He did not go far when it was so dark that 

 it was difficult to travel and carry the deer saddles and gun, so 

 Bill said he thought he would build a little shelter and camp for 

 the night. 



Bill had started for camp with the saddles of the buck as 

 soon as he could see to travel. He was near the top of the ridge 

 on his way to camp and had sat down to rest when I came to 

 the brow of the hill and began to "co-hoop" to see if I could get 

 any word from him, which I did and much closer than expected. 

 Bill brought his load up to where I was, and threw it down with 

 the remark "I suppose that you did not think to bring along 



