THEBTV YEARS A HUNTER. T59 



minutes, when hia dread of man prevailed, and 

 gradually relaxing his hold, he fell heavily to the 

 earth, relied up like a ball Ke quickly recovered 

 from the shock, and straightening himself out, he 

 made the best possible use of his legs, and was soon 

 out of sight I allowed hyn to escape unharmed for 

 the same reason as the one last mentioned. With 

 many I am aware this would not be considered suffi- 

 cient reason for permitting a bear to escape, after 

 having it in my power ; but I never wantonly killed 

 an animal, when I could gain nothing by its destruc- 

 tion. From October to May their skins are good, 

 and at this season I always killed all I could. With 

 a true hunter it is not the destruction of life which 

 affords the pleasure of the chase ; it is the excitement 

 attendant upon the very uncertainty of it which 

 induces men even to leave luxurious homes and ex* 

 po6e themselves to the hardships and perils of the 

 wilderness. Even when, after a weary -chase, the 

 game is brought down, he cannot, after the first thrill 

 of triumph, look without a pang of remorse, upon the 

 form which was so beautifully adapted to its situation, 

 and which his hand has reduced to a mere lump of 

 flesh. But with us, who made our homes in the wil- 

 derness, there was a stronger motive than love of 

 excitement for seeking out and destroying the deni- 

 zens of the forest. We did it in obedience to the 

 primal law of nature : for the subsistance or defence 

 of ourselves and those whom we were oound by the 

 ties of nature to support and defend. When neither 

 of these demanded the destruction of an animal, J 



