148 SPORT IN VANCOUVER 



quite quietly behind m}^ rock, and had the 

 pleasure of seeing him come within thirty yards, 

 when he turned slowly and, crossing the creek, 

 entered the dense undergrowth on the other 

 side just as Thomson came up with the cart- 

 ridges. It was as bad a moment as I have ever 

 experienced in my sporting life. At first we 

 could trace his movements by the shaking of 

 the bushes, and at one time, this ceasing, he 

 apparently lay down. 



I knew it was hopeless following him in such 

 undergrowth, for not only was there the danger 

 of being charged, but if even I could have made 

 my way through the tangle, it would have been 

 impossible to put the rifle to my shoulder. 

 Thomson would not give him up, but begged 

 I would lend him my rifle and he would follow 

 him up. 



I returned to camp utterly disgusted, and in 

 about one hour Thomson returned, saying he 

 had crawled through the cover, found lots of 

 blood, saw the bear once in the distance, but 

 could not get a shot. The worst of it was, it 

 was now too late to start, and to make matters 

 more depressing, rain and sleet fell all the 

 afternoon and night. 



September 23rd. The rain had now turned 

 to snow, which was lying as low down as the 



