268 Sporting Sketches 



" Now, Canady," the old man went on, " if yer good 

 fur a whirl with him, I don't care if you come along. 

 He's workin' to the berry patches." I at once drew 

 the charges of shot, and put an ounce ball in one 

 barrel and nine buckshot in the other. Lewis looked 

 on with interest, and upon my telling him that the 

 fourteen-gauge would shoot ball first-rate, he ex- 

 claimed " Well, I hope she do ; fur, by gum, she 

 may have to 'fore you get through." 



We agreed to take opposite sides of the creek, 

 which was full of floating logs that had missed the 

 freshet, and were waiting higher water. Lewis's part- 

 ing advice was " Go slow ; yer not apt to see him 

 till you reach the berry patch. Don't try no fool 

 shootin', and don't let that fool-gun get you into 

 trouble." 



I fancy that Lewis knew too much about black 

 bear to really anticipate any serious trouble, but I 

 also knew that his advice was good, and determined 

 to act upon it. We parted, Lewis following the 

 tracks across the creek, while I moved ahead, keep- 

 ing what I judged to be about abreast of my com- 

 rade. The cover was dense, and the course of the 

 creek very erratic, which fact made it as likely as 

 not that the bear would finally be found upon my 

 side of the water. 



After a lot of slow, cautious work I drew near to 

 the berry patches. No sign of the game as yet, but 

 I presently discovered a footprint in a muddy spot. 

 It had been made by the bear, and so recently that 

 the muddy water was still slowly trickling into it. 

 So the brute had crossed to-, my side ! My first 

 thought as I viewed the sign was, Won't old Lewis 



