Hunting at High Altitudes 



As they approached at a fast walk, they could 

 be easily heard sniffing the air for the scent of their 

 enemy. They looked fearfully big in the moon- 

 light. Finding my position was sufficiently far 

 back to circumvent their design, I lay down on 

 the side of the swale in a position from which I 

 could quickly rise to a sitting posture and deliver 

 fire. Sniffing the air audibly, they came rapidly 

 forward, and as it happened, along the lowest part 

 of the swale in which I lay, and with the direction 

 taken, they would soon stumble upon me. They 

 were approaching so rapidly that something had 

 to be done soon. It was now "either a fight or a 

 foot race." I did not hesitate, but rose quickly to a 

 sitting position with rifle ready for action. At the 

 change of position the two bears, either from noise 

 made by my movement or getting a sight of some- 

 thing unusual in the moonlight, stopped. Almost 

 as quick as thought, by a careful aim, I delivered 

 fire at the mass of the foremost bear, and at the 

 crack of the rifle he fell in his tracks. The other 

 bear remained motionless, apparently dazed. An- 

 other cartridge was quickly inserted, but before 

 aim could be taken he sprung off to the left and was 

 soon on a full run to the hills near, making fear- 

 fully long jumps. Before he had gone far, the 

 first shot was delivered a miss; then a second 



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