TIIIRTr YEARS A HUNTER. 71 



The eyes were covered, and the mouth muzzled. 

 A rope was attached to each foot, and one around the 

 neck ; to the neck was also fastened a pole twenty 

 feet long, and another rope forty feet long, to which a 

 horse was attached. A man then went ahead holding 

 the pole and two behind, holding the ropes, to pre- 

 vent the bear from going too rapidly. When the 

 weather was warm and the bear fat we had to go 

 very slowly. To tame them we used to attach a 

 horse to them and lead them around. If they were 

 stubborn and not easily tamed, we shut them up and 

 fattened them for their oil, which was valuable. 



About the last of July and first of August, when 

 berries were ripe, was a good season for taking bears, 

 either in bear-houses or by shooting them. They 

 were most plenty where there were whortleberries ; 

 if they could find no whortleberries, they would 

 eat blackberries, and if there were neither, they could 

 be found where there were wild cherries. If not 

 successful in taking them by means of bear-houses, 

 the hunter pursued them with dogs. When he came 

 within sight of one he let the dogs loose, when the 

 bear would climb a tree, before running a great dis- 

 tance. If the tree was so high that the bear could 

 not be reached without much difficulty, the hunter 

 retired a short distance and waited until it came 

 down, when he would drive it up another. If he 

 was prepared with ropes, he could capture it alive. 

 My first experience in catching bears was in 1805, in 

 the following manner. As a large party of young 

 men and women were out picking whortleberries we 



