THE BLACK BEAR 293 



post haste to the camp to tell the " Colonel" : " We 

 done got de bear at bay an' are awaitin' for him." 



Mr. Denison's account is a long one and capital 

 throughout. I have given these few quotations from 

 it since they furnish an exxellent description of the 

 ground and the methods of the black bear chase as it is 

 practised in the South. We have, too, a fine descrip- 

 tion of the pack and a reference to a naval form of 

 warfare on bears " in the back-water season," which 

 was entirely new to me. The story has an evident his- 

 toric interest.* 



There is, no doubt, much fun to be had in black bear 

 hunting with horses, hounds and horns, and darkies in 

 the Southern swamps. The difficulty, of course, is, 

 for one not used to it, to keep up with the hunters. It 

 is safe to say, however, that had the President had his 

 own way he would have followed the hounds and 

 would have enjoyed, no doubt. Holt Collier's conversa- 

 tions with Bruin ; it would not have been necessary to 

 send a messenger to announce that the bear was "at 

 bay." 



* Outing. 



