216 CANADIAN WILDS. 



head for, did a deed of great nerve for a man 

 of over sixty. He was visiting his fish net on the 

 shore of a narrow lake, when he saw a large bear 

 enter the water on the opposite side a little 

 above, and head for the shore the old man was 

 on. Old Pete had no gun, but he did not hesi- 

 tate a moment, but caught up his hunting ax, 

 and ran along shore to where the bear Avould 

 land. The old man was plainly visible to the 

 -bear from the first, but Bruin kept on his direct 

 Course. Old Pete waded out from the shore 

 nearly to his waist with ax unlifted, and waited 

 Everything depended on striking true, and at 

 the proper and precise moment. He had the 

 bear, it is true, at a disadvantage. Still, many 

 a younger and stronger man would have de- 

 clined the risk. 



Pete was successful; he buried the ax clean 

 into the skull the first blow. 



Another instance I witnessed of a bear not 

 turning aside for any obstacle: We were later 

 than usual one evening on the water; my men 

 were anxious to get to the portage before camp- 

 ing, and were tracking the canoe up the last 

 mile at deep dusk. There were four men on 

 the line ashore, and the bow and steersmen 

 standing up in the canoe fending her off the 

 rocks and shallows. My companion and I were 

 sitting very quietly in the middle compartment 



