THE AMERICAN BLACK BEAR 195 



down in my sights again and no snap shots for me 

 this time ; I really meant to do some aiming. The 

 bear was below me and some twelve or fifteen 

 yards off. I pulled down for the top of his 

 head and hurled a bullet exactly between his ears 

 that rung down the curtain on this bear story in 

 a hurry. 



This all happened in a space of time that it 

 takes to press the trigger of your rifle, work your 

 lever (if you have one), sight and shoot again 

 a matter of two or three seconds. Up to the 

 present time everything that had happened had 

 been the unexpected, but a most remarkable Act 

 II was announced by a second "Whoof! Whoof!" 

 It might be well to mention right here that the 

 day before I had lost my hunting-knife and had 

 come out this morning with just six cartridges, 

 for the reason, firstly, that we were low in am- 

 munition, and secondly, my experience was that 

 I seldom used more than two cartridges in a day, 

 more often none at all. I still had four shots 

 left, which should be plenty for almost any occa- 

 sion, but at the rate bears were turning up I was 

 conscious of the fact that I had none to waste. 

 All this time, you will remember, I was perched 

 on the great fallen pine. I had, however, drawn 

 one leg up, resting the other on the ground, and 



