HUNTING IN THE SELKIRKS. 157 



meaning to shoot through the shoulders, but 

 instead, in the hurry, taking him in the neck. 

 Down he went, but whether hurt or not we 

 could not see, for the second he was on all 

 fours he was no longer visible. Rather to my 

 surprise he uttered no sound for bear when 

 hit or when charging often make a great noise 

 so I raced forward to the edge of the hollow, 

 the hunter close behind me, while Ammal 

 danced about in the rear, very much excited, 

 as Indians always are in the presence of big 

 game. The instant we reached the hollow 

 and looked down into it from the low bank on 

 which we stood we saw by the swaying of the 

 tall plants that the bear was coming our way. 

 The hunter was standing some ten feet dis- 

 tant, a hemlock trunk being between us ; 

 and the next moment the bear sprang clean 

 up the bank the other side of the hemlock, 

 and almost within arm's length of my com- 

 panion. I do not think he had intended to 

 charge ; he was probably confused by the 

 bullet through his neck, and had by chance 

 blundered out of the hollow in our direction ; 

 but when he saw the hunter so close he 

 turned for him, his hair bristling and his teeth 

 showing. The man had no cartridge in his 

 weapon, and with his pack on could not have 

 used it anyhow ; and for a moment it looked 

 as if he stood a fair chance of being hurt, 

 though it is not likely that the bear would 

 have done more than knock him down with 

 his powerful forepaw, or perchance give him 

 a single bite in passing. However, as the 

 beast sprang out of the hollow he poised for 

 a second on the edge of the bank to recover 



