My First Summer 



i 



I let them run a good safe time before I 

 ventured to follow them, and Sandy was 

 pretty sure tofind them dead. If not,he barked 

 and drew their attention, and occasionally 

 rushed in for a distracting bite, so that I 

 was able to get to a safe distance for a final 

 shot. Oh yes, bear-hunting is safe enough 

 when followed in a safe way, though like 

 every other business it has its accidents, and 

 little doggie and I have had some close 

 calls. Bears like to keep out of the way of 

 men as a general thing, but if an old, lean, 

 hungry mother with cubs met a man on her 

 own ground she would, in my opinion, try 

 to catch and eat him. This would be only 

 fair play anyhow, for we eat them, but no- 

 body hereabout has been used for bear grub 

 that I know of." 



Brown had left his mountain home ere 

 we arrived, but a considerable number of 

 Digger Indians still linger in their cedar- 

 bark huts on the edge of the flat. They were 

 attracted in the first place by the white 



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