A CHROMATIC BEAR HUNT 



He apologized as he did so. "You see, my 

 footing wasn't very good and I was half dead 

 from running, or I'd have shot better and got 

 her the first time." 



"Then you had to shoot again?" 

 "Oh yes; twice more. She fell at the first 

 crack, and that give me time to reload. When 

 she riz up again I tried for her heart, but she 

 throwed up her forearm, and all I did was to 

 break her leg. Look! That give me a chance, 

 though, for when she jumped at me the next 

 time her leg give out and throwed her off, so I 

 sidestepped her. But those cubs! Say, they 

 was the funniest things ! " He began to laugh. 

 "I wanted to catch 'em, but they was too big. 

 They was snarling around my feet all the time 

 and I was kicking at 'em so's to get a shot at 

 the old one. I had to knock this one down 

 finally, which give me time to wallop the old 

 lady in the neck. If I hadn't been so tired I'd 

 have run down them other two, but they was 

 too fast for me. I chased 'em half a mile, but 

 somehow I couldn't get up to 'em. It's too 

 bad she snuffed me." 



Joe had returned, skinned the two carcasses, 

 and packed the hides in through the deep 

 snow, although the mother's pelt alone was a 



67 



