178 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



I said, "Smoky, you must not shoot at the bear but at the base 

 of the bear's ear," which he finally did and Bruin was -out of his 

 trouble almost before the smoke from the rifle had cleared away. 



The bear was a large one, measuring seven feet two inches 

 from end to end. We were unable to get it out of the woods 

 whole. Smoky insisted that he would carry it if it was as large as 

 a mountain. He soon gave up that idea and we cut the carcass into 

 pieces and took part to camp and returned the next day after the 

 balance. That night after we got to camp with the bear we had 

 for supper bear steak, partridge, rabbit and bacon with warm 

 biscuits and honey, baked potatoes, butter and coffee, with the 

 necessary trimmings, which caused Smoky to remark that the 

 country was all right for a living, but thought that society was 

 rather limited. 



The day after we had brought in the remainder of the bear, we 

 could see the smoke from the forest fires that were burning away 

 to the southwest, loom up thick and black. It was plainly to be 

 seen that the fire was steadily working in the direction of our 

 camp and was getting in close proximity to where we had a bear 

 trap setting. I was afraid that the fire would burn sufficiently hard 

 to spoil the trap unless it was taken up, so Smoky said that if I 

 would "mix the muligan" (get supper) that he would go and get 

 the trap, which I readily consented to do, telling Smoky to bring 

 the trap down to a small creek and put the trap in the water. 



Smoky got back about 'the time I had supper ready. He came 

 in and put his gun up and washed ready for supper without saying 

 a word. I saw that Smoky was looking down-hearted but thought 

 that he was a little tired and homesick, so I did not say much 

 to him, but after a little I said, "Charley, did you get anything in 

 the trap?" He answered very short, saying, "If I had you would 

 be likely to see something of it, wouldn't you?" so I said no more. 



After supper was over and the dishes washed, Smoky took a 

 piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me with the 

 remark, "What do you know about that?" I unfolded the paper 

 and found that it contained a lock of bear's hair. I said, "Smoky, 

 what is it? Another one of your jokes?" I thought that Smoky 

 had taken the hair from the bear that we had caught two days 



