200 TRUE BEAR STORIES. 



a wounded grizzly. Besides, if shot at and 

 missed, the bear would probably not re 

 turn, and all the cnances of getting him 

 into the trap would be lost. So the two 

 sat on a log and watched the grizzly till 

 the night came on thick and dark, when 

 they returned to camp. 



The trap was finished the next day, but 

 a somewhat ludicrous accident destroyed 

 its possibilities of usefulness, and made it 

 quite certain that bruin would never be 

 caught in it. Not expecting a visit from 

 the bear, for at least two days, the corre 

 spondent went up to the ridge just before 

 dark, made a rope fast to the remains of 

 a steer, and dragged him down to the trap. 

 Bowers had gone back to Ventura on busi 

 ness, and the correspondent was alone on 

 the mountain; when he went into the trap 

 to fix a can of honey upon the trigger, he 

 placed a stick under the door, in such a 

 way that if the door should fall he could 

 use the stick as a lever to pry it up, and 



