298 ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR. 



but they had been forgotten, so I had to share mine with 

 Symonds, which was hard, with snow on the ground, as I 

 had only one pair and a greatcoat, while Symonds had my 

 second pair and his small mackintosh sheet. I have forgotten to 

 say that Symonds had a greyhound when I met him at 

 Carroll, and as it seemed a good way of giving him a little 

 money without hurting his feelings, I bought it of him for 

 twenty dollars (4), although it could be of no use to us, 

 but he assured me that it was very plucky, and would go in at 

 anything in a moment, 



After Reed's departure, the Colonel, Fishel (the guide), and 

 I started off to visit the baits, Symonds preferring a book by 

 the fire bears in print being more in his line than hunting 

 them. Soon after leaving camp we came across two fresh 

 bear-tracks, going in different directions, so the Colonel 

 followed one of them while we took up the trail of the other, 

 and had gone about a mile when we came to a large swamp, 

 through which the trail went. We were obliged to go round, 

 which we did, one on each side of the cover. On the opposite 

 bank was a thick clump of willows, about fifty yards square, 

 and it did not look large enough to hold so big an animal ; and 

 we had just entered this at opposite corners, when the bear 

 rose just in ' front of me, looking as large as an elephant. He 

 remained a moment on his hind legs and then charged me, 

 uttering a loud grunt. I shouted to Fishel that he was coming, 

 and my pony spun round so quickly that I had no time to fire, 

 so I rushed across a small bottom about a hundred yards wide, 

 crashing through a lot of fallen wood, with which it was 

 covered. Luckily it was almost all rotten, or it would have 

 thrown us down. On hearing my shout, Fishel had started, 



