288 SINGLE-HANDED SYSTEM. 



slightest hitch, even the misconduct of a single individual, 

 may mar the best-arranged plan, and cause a total failure. 

 When a man, on the contrary, takes the field alone, as it 

 were, and is altogether dependent on himself, to say nothing 

 of all his energies being thus brought fairly into play, which 

 goes far to insure success, his plans, such as they are, are 

 pretty sure to be properly carried out. For this reason I 

 have always considered the Chasse of the bear, single-handed, 

 as infinitely preferable to, and far more exciting, than mob- 

 bing the beast. 



And after all, I am not sure that the single-handed system 

 is not almost as efficacious as Skalls. Under certain circum- 

 stances, and at certain seasons of the year, the latter may be 

 very needful ; but in the winter time, when for months toge- 

 ther the ground is covered with snow, the bear rarely escapes 

 if a man knows what he is about : such, at least, has been 

 my experience ; and excepting in a single instance, when the 

 beast gave me the slip,. I have always managed to compass 

 his death by one means or another that is, up to the end of 

 March ; for when one gets into April, in which month the 

 bear of himself leaves his winter quarters, the Chasse then 

 becomes somewhat uncertain. 



