96 CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



scended into one valley, climbed the mountains, and 

 finally came out on the ridge overlooking the creek 

 where the bears were feeding. 



Bettle looks a bit embarrassed and as Dixon, the 

 guide, insists on telling the story of the hunt, we 

 record the incident as Dixon gave it about the blaz- 

 ing friendship fire. 



" We had to go down to the creek bottom where 

 we stalked up for a thousand yards with the wind in 

 our favor, but in plain sight of the grizzlies. 

 Nearly on all fours we went up the creek, and every 

 time the bears faced our way we would drop down 

 until they began feeding again or faced in an oppo- 

 site direction. In this way we gained a low ridge 

 running parallel to the creek where the bears still 

 continued to feed, and near the crest we ran rapidly 

 up wind to a knoll one hundred and fifty yards from 

 the animals; creeping to the ridge we saw the griz- 

 zlies below us, curled up asleep beside the partially 

 devoured caribou, and after waiting a moment for 

 the hunters to recover their breath Bettle opened 

 fire on the large grizzly. 



" The shot struck her paw and she turned a com- 

 plete somersault and began to roar; the hundred 

 pound cub sat straight up behind its mother and Cut- 

 ting shot at it, but the aim was low and the bullet 

 hit the big bear in the shoulder. Bettle's second 

 shot creased the wounded animal in the back and she 

 started to run, when Cutting fired again, hitting her 



