THE BLACK BEAR. 103 



on hearing the latter, concluded that the wisest course 

 would be to retreat, and this it did, though slowly and 

 very laboriously. 



When the dogs passed my prison I descended, and 

 when my companion arrived I secured his shot-gun and 

 started in pursuit of the jailer. I overtook it in a few 

 minutes, the dogs having brought it to bay by nipping at 

 it whenever it attempted to escape, and, on a good oppor- 

 tunity being presented, I let it have both barrels at short 

 range in rapid succession, and it fell dead in its track. On 

 looking for where I hit it the first time, I found that the 

 bullet had passed through the anterior portion of the wind- 

 pipe from side to side. This was what had saved me, as 

 its breathing was too difficult to enable it to run rapidly, 

 or even to climb well. 



While out on that hunt we killed three adults and two 

 cubs, but I took excellent care to avoid getting to close 

 quarters with them, and to feel assured that they were 

 dead before I tried any familiarity. 



I have had some hunts after this animal which had their 

 ludicrous side also. I was, on one occasion, running down 

 the Chehalis River in a canoe, my companions being an 

 Indian gondolier and a sporting Esculapius who was the 

 surgeon on an Indian reservation. While rushing down 

 in a swift current that bowled us along at the rate of five 

 miles an hour, we came suddenly upon a young bear swim- 

 ming across the stream. The doctor became excited at 

 once, and ordered the red man to ply the paddle vigorous- 

 ly and get alongside it before it could reach the shore. He 

 complied, and we were soon ranged beside it; but as we 

 had no weapons except small pocket revolvers, and the ani- 

 mal was young, the doctor insisted that it ought not to be 

 shot, but be captured alive. All parties being willing, the 

 doctor, who was in the bow of the canoe, attempted to 

 throw a rope around its head, and in his efforts to do so 

 tilted the boat somewhat, lost his balance, and went head- 

 long into the water on top of the bear. The latter gave a 

 growl of terror and attempted to break away ; but it some- 



