V Bears 103 



to get his head into the milk-can. Luckily Jim, the 

 dog, was asleep, or we should have had to quit the 

 camp. You must leave him alone or the conse- 

 quences are awful. His power of ejecting an 

 unutterable fetid fluid to a distance of yards 

 makes him a positive terror to all who are near 

 him ; one drop on your clothes and you have to 

 sink them in the nearest brook — you're deuced 

 lucky if you don't have to sink yourself too. A 

 bear followed us the other day along a wild trail 

 leading to the Kakabika Falls, as we could plainly 

 see by his prints on our return. Legend says 

 that an artful Canadian Boniface once invented a 

 machine which exactly simulated the track of an 

 immense bear in the soft moss. These marks being 

 shown to the " sojer officers," hounds were sent for, 

 an expedition of many rifles organised, and a great 

 hunt made ; but somehow the bear always managed 

 to escape, though of course hit frequently. Mine 

 host, however, had his reward, and his quest was the 

 foundation of many glorious yarns. The bear is a 

 wise fellow, and boxes as adroitly with his paws as 

 my old friend Sambo Sutton ; but he is a harmless 

 beast, unless interfered with, and objects to fighting 

 on principle, though he is by no means averse to it 

 in practice. When he comes upon a trail which 

 has recently been used by man, he loses his temper, 

 and, in default of the trespasser, attacks the pine- 

 trees, which he scratches and bites with great 

 pugnacity ; at least, that is the explanation which 



