160 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



capped, the bear had seen enough had turned, and was off. We 

 watched all his movements from the hill. It was so curious seeing 

 him, the whole thing seemed all at once to flash on him, and then 

 he was off ; the more he thought of it the less he liked it and the 

 faster he went, until at last he raced venire d lerre, jumping the 

 fallen trees in his path. Once only, just on the brow of the hill, 

 did he look back, and then away he went, faster than ever, and dis- 

 appeared in the birch scrub. We then came down and hunted the 

 birch scrub, with no results ; but on one of the hills we found a 

 place he was accustomed to lie up in, so snug, in between two rocks 

 on the brow of the hill, where he could see all round him, and yet 

 the rocks sheltered him. He had scratched up the moss and had 

 made a soft bed, with a raised pillow at one end. It was a great 

 pity that A. did not get him, for he was a very large bear, and must 

 have been old, as he had such a white muzzle. 



For myself, I confess I was glad that I had not touched 

 him, as during the time we faced each other it was simply on 

 the balance whether that inconvenient change was not going 

 to occur when the hunter begins to be the hunted. I have 

 since invariably shot with a Henry Express double-barrelled 

 rifle. 



Again watching a favourite feeding place in a similar 

 manner, I saw a very large bear, and managed to get up to within 

 a hundred yards of him, when he offered me a good side shot. 

 I fired, aiming as usual behind the shoulder. On receiving 

 my fire he charged straight at me, whilst I slipped in a cartridge 

 to receive him. He charged fully forty yards at best pace, 

 and, just as I was about to endeavour to give him a head shot, 

 he reared straight up his full height, smashing down a young 

 birch-tree with his weight, stone-dead. This was the largest 

 bear I have shot. His heart was absolutely shattered by the 

 Express bullet. 



