My First Summer 



time of year enabled the hunter to determine 

 approximately where the bear would be 

 found, in the spring and early summer on 

 open spots about the banks of streams and 

 springy places eating grass and clover and 

 lupines, or in dry meadows feasting on straw- 

 berries ; toward the end of summer, on dry 

 ridges, feasting on manzanita berries, sitting 

 on his haunches, pulling down the laden 

 branches with his paws, and pressing them 

 together so as to get good compact mouth- 

 fuls however much mixed with twigs and 

 leaves; in the Indian summer, beneath the 

 pines, chewing the cones cut off by the squir- 

 rels, or occasionally climbing a tree to gnaw 

 and break off the fruitful branches. In late 

 autumn, when acorns are ripe, Bruin's favor- 

 ite feeding-grounds are groves of the Cali- 

 fornia oak in park-like canon flats. Always 

 the cunning hunter knew where to look, and 

 seldom came upon Bruin unawares. When 

 the hot scent showed the dangerous game 

 was nigh, a long halt was made, and the in- 



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