220 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



In this manner we hail advanced about a quarter of a mile, 

 when a sudden rush was made exactly in my front, the young 

 trees were roughly shaken, and I jumped forward immediately, 

 to meet or to follow the animal, before I could determine what it 

 really was. Something between a short roar and a grunt pro- 

 claimed it to be a bear, and I pushed on as fast as I could through 

 the opposing branches ; I could neither see nor hear any- 

 thing. 



Bob Stewart now joined me. " That's no good," he exclaimed, 

 "you shouldn't run forward when you hear the rush of a bear, 

 but jump on one side, as I did. Supposing that bear had come 

 straight at you ; why, he'd a been on the top of you before you 

 could have got your rifle up. True, you've got a double-barrel, 

 but that's not my way of shooting bears, although that's the way 

 to jump a bear, which you've seen now, and you may jump a good 

 many before you get a shot in this kind of stuff." 



I could not induce Bob to take any further trouble in pursuit, 

 as he assured me that it would be to no purpose : the bear when 

 thus disturbed would go straight away, and might not halt for 

 several miles. 



This was a disappointment ; we therefore sought our horses, 

 which we found quietly grazing in the place that we expected. 

 Remounting, we rode slowly through the great mass of spruce firs, 

 which I had named the "10 mile forest." 



There was very little underwood beyond a few young spruce 

 here and there, and we could see from 80 to 100 yards in every 

 direction. Presently we came across an enormous skull, which 

 Bob immediately examined, and handed it to me, suggesting that 

 I should preserve it as a specimen. He declared this to be the 

 skull of a true grizzly ; but some of the teeth were missing, and 

 as I seldom collect anything that I have not myself shot or taken 

 a part in shooting, I declined the head, although it was double the 

 size of anything I had experienced. 



The forest was peculiarly dark, and the earth was so soft from 

 the decaying pine needles, that our horses made no noise, unless 

 when occasionally their hoofs struck against the brittle branches of 

 a fallen tree. We were thus riding, always keeping a bright look- 

 out, when Bob (who was leading) suddenly sprang from his mare, 

 and as quick as lightning fired at a black-tail buck, that was 

 standing about 80 yards upon our right. His shot had no effect ; 

 the deer, which had not before observed us, started at the shot, 

 and stood again, without moving more than three or four yards. 

 Bob had reloaded his Sharp like magic, and he fired another shot, 



