200 TKUE 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 



