284 THE BEAR FAMILY 



to bark furiously. I jumped from the carriage and 

 started to go to the dog, and when nearly to him Mrs. 

 Chahoon called excitedly for me to come to her. On 

 getting back I found that another very large bear had 

 come into the road and stood on his hind legs in front 

 of the horse, while the horse rose on his hind legs and 

 looked at Bruin. As soon as our horse was quiet 

 enough to be hitched, Mrs. Chahoon and I went to the 

 dog, which was still barking at the bear where it had 

 fallen. 



" We tried to drag it to the road; but two hundred 

 pounds was more than our hands alone could manage. 

 While thus engaged, Mr. Edmund Roberts came along 

 with the stage, and with his help the dead captive was 

 put into his wagon and carried back to our home, where 

 its hide now makes a fine rug on our floor. The ground 

 where the bear was shot showed no blood or other evi- 

 dence of the animal having been hit. Both charges 

 struck near the shoulder and were driven downward, 

 and part of them went entirely through the body. The 

 shot was not bunched, but had separated so as to form 

 a pattern resembling the top of a large pepper-box. 



" There was nothing to indicate a struggle, and 

 doubtless she fell perfectly dead where she lay when 

 we reached her. In all, she must have run fifty or sixty 

 yards with her heart riddled with shot." 



The black bear is much smaller than his great griz- 

 zled cousin, and weighs from 200 or less to 400 pounds. 

 His coat is black or brown, as his name would indi- 

 cate, and the hair is glossy and soft. 



The range of this bear is North America — from 

 Maine to Alaska and South to Mexico. 



