Homesteading 



sulphur suitably wrapped up in paper and soaked 

 in coal oil, weighing a pound each. We also 

 twisted a soft wire together, making a big, strong 

 running noose, which we attached to a heavy 

 log and hung in the mouth of the hole. Well, 

 we smoked that bear for two hours and he never 

 showed up. It was very disappointing, and 



H was starting into the hole with a big knife, 



but I objected, as it was much too dangerous. 

 We knew he was there because of his fresh tracks, 

 which were right in the hole, and he had not been 

 away from the mouth of his hole. We would 

 have dug him out if we had had the tools, but 

 it was too big a job altogether, as he was about 

 fourteen feet in the hillside, and the hill was at 

 such an angle that we would have had to dig 

 down seven feet or so. Very loath to leave, we 

 finally gave him up, but we told the nearest neigh- 

 bours, living some nine miles away." 



264 



