224 CAMP-FIRES IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES 



here came the dog, leading that wounded bear right 

 down upon me, as fast as they could plunge. For a time 

 I was scared stiff, with nothing in the world to do but 

 stand and wait for a chance to shoot. I remember think- 

 ing that ' no matter how it turns out, it's great to see that 

 bear come tearing down that snow-slide! ' 



" Kaiser ran for his life, looking back once in a while, 

 and by her sliding as she did, the grizzly gained upon 

 him. Finally, when within twenty-five yards of me, 

 Kaiser saw that in one more jump the bear would grab 

 him; so he dove off to one side, head first, into a clump 

 of bushes, and cleared the track. Then the grizzly saw 

 me, and came on at me, straight as a bullet. As quick as I 

 could I aimed just below her left eye and let go. It was 

 my one chance, and I knew that if I missed there would 

 be a bad mix-up. 



" My trap-shooting practice stood me in good stead, 

 for that bear's head certainly was a flying target. But 

 the ball struck her right, exploded in her head, and she 

 pitched forward almost upon me, so dead she scarcely 

 kicked. 



" Charlie was still far below, making frantic efforts 

 to get up and into the scrape with his new six-shooter. 

 He ran like a fairy across a cracked snow-bridge over 

 the creek, and it made me laugh to see the holes he 

 punched in the snow as he came up the slide. He 

 arrived with a face like an angry father. First he lect- 

 ured me, severely; then he laughed; then he thanked 

 me formally and politely, for not shooting the bear 

 through Kaiser! The grizzly was a female, and we 



