84 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 
formation by asking and listening; and that’s what I 
say to Countess’s pups every day when I’m home; and 
I have got great hopes of them ar pups, because they are 
continually xosimg about ; and though they stick it 
sometimes in the wrong place, they gain experience any 
how, and may learn something useful to boot. 
“Well, as I was saying about this big bear, you see 
when I and some more first settled in our region, we 
were drivin to hunting naturally ; we soon liked it, and 
after that we found it an easy matter to make the thing 
our business. One old chap who had pioneered ’afore 
us, gave us to understand that we had settled in the 
right place. He dwelt upon its merits until it was af- 
fecting, and showed us, to prove his assertions, more 
scratches on the bark of the sassafras trees, than [ ever 
saw chalk marks on a tavern door ‘lection time. 
‘““¢ Who keeps that ar reckoning ?’ said I. 
“‘¢ The bear,’ said he. 
¢¢ What for ?? said I. 
-“¢ Can’t tell,’ said he; ‘but so it is: the bear bite 
the bark and wood too, at the highest poimt from the 
ground they can reach, and you can tell, by the marks,’ 
said he, ‘the length of the bear to an inch.’ © 
““¢ Knough,’ said I; ‘I’ve learned something here 
a’ready, and J’ll put it in practice.’ 
“ Well, stranger, just one month from that time I 
killed a bar, and told its exact length before I measured 
