TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING. 49 



a tree. Dyche could not catch up with him, and 

 at two o'clock in the afternoon he returned to camp 

 almost worn out. A big buck jumped from cover, 

 but he let the animal go. A light supper, and a 

 blank until dawn. A hot breakfast restored him, and 

 after a whole day spent about the camp he felt like 

 going on another campaign. A fox and a wildcat 

 were caught in traps and the skins taken care of, and 

 then Dyche started out to look at some traps, expect- 

 ing to be gone about an hour. It was late in the 

 afternoon when he returned, and from the flush in his 

 face and his general excitement Brown knew that he 

 had seen bears. Dyche had had a most wonderful 

 adventure, and was so wild over it that he could 

 hardly wait until after supper to tell his story. 



u I got to the fox-traps, and as I was looking around 

 I saw a large bear-trail that was very fresh. The 

 bears had been here, there, and everywhere. The 

 ground was dug up as if a drove of hogs had been 

 rooting and overturning the logs and stones. 

 There must have been a herd of them, for paths led 

 through the woods in a dozen different directions. 

 I took a large circuit in order to find which way they 

 had gone. I soon found the main trail, which was 

 as easily followed as if a herd of cattle had been 

 along there. It went through a number of grassy 

 parks, down a small stream, up another, and then 

 over a mountain. I followed as rapidly as possible, 

 expecting every minute to see them. They spread 

 destruction in their path. Logs, stumps, and stones 

 were turned over and ant-hills torn to pieces. A 

 choke-cherry patch was stripped of berries and 



