218 CANADIAN WILDS. 



sound, the bear escaped into the bush in spite 

 of all thafr his assailants could do to prevent 

 him. 



Long into the night about the dying embers 

 of the camp-fire, I heard the men going over 

 the whole scene and blaming one another for 

 not having done something they ought to have 

 done. 



One other instance I will give of a bear's per- 

 sistency to go straight in the water, and in this 

 case it was fatal to two men. 



Two newly married couples left the mouth of 

 the Moisie for the interior. Their third day up 

 stream brought them to a place where, off to 

 one side in the bush about a mile back, was a 

 noted lake for trout and whitefish. It was de- 

 cided that they should portage one canoe, and 

 with their blankets, net and cooking utensils 

 go and pass the night on the lake shore. One 

 gun was all the men took (a flintlock for this 

 was years ago). Shortly after arriving at the 

 lake a bear was seen swimming from the other 

 side, coming toward where the Indians were ty- 

 ing their net. The two young men jumped into 

 the canoe and pushed out to meet him, which was 

 a fatal mistake. The man in the bow waited till 

 the bear was within a couple of yards off from 

 the bow, and then pulled the trigger. The old 

 gun flashed in the pan, but there was no report. 



