THE BLACK BEAR 283 



where I found it. Mr. George Chahoon, the hero of 

 the tale, says : 



"On September 9, 1899, Mrs. Chahoon and I went 

 for a little drive, hoping to get a couple of partridges 

 ere returning. We left our home in Ausable Forks in 

 a single carriage, taking with us our little bird-dog 

 ' Bounce,' and a twelve-guage shotgun. 



" While going through a swamp near the middle kilns, 

 on the road to Saranac Lake, Mrs. Chahoon driving, 

 and I holding the gun, cocked and ready for a quick 

 shot at a bird, about thirty yards in front of us four 

 bears came into the road, looked at us for an instant, 

 and then ran on ahead. Bounce, the dog, gave chase, 

 and was close to the bears as they turned to enter the 

 woods on the opposite side of the road. This was fun 

 for Bounce, and we sat laughing at his audacity, when 

 soon we saw a procession of dog and bears coming 

 toward us, the dog leading and the larger, older bear 

 in close pursuit, and clearly shortening the distance 

 between them as they neared us. Don, our horse, not 

 liking this style of a hunt, started to go home back- 

 ward ; but fortunately did not succeed in overturning 

 us, only so placed the carriage as to give the dog and 

 bears a narrow passage as they ran by. The dog had 

 about six feet of lead, and as they passed I fired both 

 barrels of No. 8 bird-shot into the first bear at a range 

 of about ten feet. She showed no evidence of having 

 been hit, and kci)t on her course for some twenty yards, 

 when she turned into the woods, the other three bears 

 taking to the woods when opposite our carriage. The 

 dog quickly turned and followed them, and when 

 about thirty yards from the road he stopped and began 



