CHAPTER X. 

 Incidents Connected with Bear Trapping. 



SEVERAL years ago, I was trapping for bears on the East 

 Fork of the Sinnemahoning River. I usually went on horse 

 back as far as I could when tending the traps. But boys, 

 don't be bad, as I was, for this was on Sunday that I went 

 to look at the traps. I found the bait-pen of the first one torn 

 down, bait gone and everything showed plainly that Bruin had 

 been there. As I had no bait at hand, I went to the next trap. 

 I found things quite different, for the old bear had surely "put 

 his foot in it" this time, as the trap was gone. On taking the 

 trail I did not follow it far, before I found bruin fast in an old 

 tree-top. I soon dispatched him and taking off his coat, hung up 

 his carcass. Now the bait was gone at this trap also. Let me tell 

 you that this is something that rarely happens, for when the bear 

 puts his foot in a Newhouse trap, he seldom tarries to monkey 

 with bait. I suspected that another bear had been there after this 

 one had got in the trap. As I had no bait I took the lungs and 

 heart of the one I had caught and baited the traps the best I 

 could, then I took the skin and started for home. Well, when I 

 got near the horse you can bet there was some tall prancing and 

 loud snorting. After a long time I managed to get on his back 

 and home with the skin. 



The next morning I began to have some doubt whether bears 

 were cannibals or not. I thought I would take some fresh bait 

 and go back and bait the traps up good. 



When I got near the trap in which I had caught the bear the 

 day befor.e, I heard a great deal of wrestling going on and it did 

 not take long to see that I had an old he-bear hung up this time. 

 And now was the time that I began to realize what a boy's trick 

 I had cut up, for I had not taken any gun with me; only a small 



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