HUNTING AND TRAPPING IN CAMERON COUNTY. 157 



was no cub that had taken the trap this time. The bear had 

 gone only a few yards, when he had gotten fast in some sap- 

 lings, and he had gnawed the brush and raked the trees and 

 "raised Ned" generally ; but had finally released the clog and 

 had gone on down the hillside. 



By this time I had discovered that Mr. Jacobs had become 

 pretty nervous and was shaking rather too much to do good 

 shooting. At every rod we advanced along the trail, it was plain 

 to be seen that Mr. Jacobs was becoming more and more excited. 

 We did not follow the trail far when we discovered Bruin fast 

 again. We went up within a few yards of the bear, who did 

 not seem to like our company and would chank his jaws and 

 snort similar to an angry hog. 



I told Mr. Jacobs to shoot the bear, and he did shoot some- 

 where, but I could not say that he shot in the direction of the 

 bear. As my attention had been on the bear, I had not noticed 

 Mr. Jacobs in particular, but when I saw that he had entirely 

 missed the bear, I looked at him and he was shaking so from 

 excitement, that he could not have hit a barn, and drops of sweat 

 stood all over his forehead. He had a double barrel rifle, and 

 as soon as he fired the first shot, he advanced a few steps 

 toward the bear and fired again, and at once began to reload 

 his gun, all the time going nearer to the bear until I was afraid 

 that he would get so close that the bear could reach him. I 

 had to caution him and tell him to step back, that he was getting 

 too close. 



When Mr. Jacobs had one barrel of his gun loaded, he im- 

 mediately fired again, with the same results of the other two 

 shots. I told him to take my gun and try it, which he did with 

 no better results. Mr. Jacobs was all the time becoming more 

 and more excited, and the sweat was running off him like a man 

 in the harvest field. I loaded my gun, while Mr. Jacobs was 

 loading his, and after Mr. Jacobs fired another shot with no 

 better results, I though that the fun had gone far enough, and 

 shot the bear. 



After the bear was dead, Mr. Jacobs wondered why it was so 

 hard to hit a bear's head. "Just look at it," he said, "it is as 



