In the Old Rockies 



adelphia. The wind was blowing strongly and 

 directly from the bear toward me, which accounts 

 for her not having either seen or smelt me. When 

 I first saw her it proved to be an old she bear 

 she was looking directly at me. I think she must 

 have indistinctly noticed some movement on my 

 part. Although my heart was in my throat at such 

 an awakening, I retained enough sense not to move 

 again, for I had not yet, figuratively speaking, com- 

 pleted my yawn, and my arms were still out- 

 stretched. As soon as she turned and looked in 

 another direction I reached down for my rifle, 

 cocked it and sprang to the edge of the opening. 

 I instinctively knew that we would have it out then 

 and there, and that there was no use in running. 

 Leaning up against a small pine tree, with noth- 

 ing except it between the bear and me, I watched 

 her walk around the opposite side of the opening, 

 which was not more than thirty or forty steps 

 across. As I watched her the bear noticed the 

 skull and horns of the elk which were hung up 

 between the two small trees as described. She 

 swung herself easily up against these trees her 

 head moving constantly, otherwise I would have 

 shot long before and made an ineffective reach 

 for the elk head and horns. Not being quite able 

 to reach them, she waddled up closer to the tree, 



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