A BEAR'S WINTER RETREAT. 153 



borders of New Brunswick, in front of the party of 

 which I was a member, my gun loaded, in the hope of 

 killing a grouse or two, I perceived a small animal, 

 about the size of a King Charles spaniel, running along 

 the track a hundred or more yards in front of me. 

 Without troubling myself to look closely, I concluded 

 it was a porcupine, animals which were extremely com- 

 mon in the vicinity. Soon after a dog belonging to 

 one of my companions passed me ; stooping to the 

 trail he gave tongue, and went in pursuit at his best 

 possible speed. In a few moments I knew he had 

 brought something to bay, and, proceeding to his 

 assistance, I found a young bear the size of a badger, 

 treed in a six-inch sapling. Where was the mother ? 

 Answer says, " Don't know ; " for young Bruin, after 

 a vixenish fight, was secured, and, although half-an- 

 hour elapsed in the operation, the old lady still re- 

 mained non est. 



It is very common for bears to be killed after they 

 have retired to their dormitory for the winter sleep. 

 When living near Lake Couchachin, in Canada, I 

 assisted on such an occasion. An Indian from Rama 

 came to me in great haste, with the hope I would sell 

 him some ammunition. From his earnestness and 

 anxiety I knew that he had made a valuable discovery, 

 which after a little higgling was disclosed. He had 

 found a bear's retreat in a hollow log, nearly imbedded 

 in snow, and the ammunition was for poor Bruin's 

 destruction. 



Stipulating that I should have a share of the sport, I 

 supplied the ammunition, and we started. The dis- 

 tance was short. Mr. Chippewa Indian knocked on 

 the log, and the writer stood at the entrance. Poor 



