HUNTING ON THE UPPER GANDER 129 



By the time I had passed the intervening woods, and had 

 begun to creep cautiously down a depression in the marsh, 

 the bear was still lumbering around about 400 yards away, 

 and far on the other side of the dead deer. My position 

 was clearly near enough to the carcase, for if the animal 

 chose to make another circuit of the prospective dinner, 

 he would doubdess come within easy shot. Accordingly I 

 sat down behind a small larch and waited. At the same 

 moment the bear approached his dinner, walking slowly and 

 with evident apprehension. He was clearly of much cunning, 

 or had at some time or another been greatly scared. I felt 

 certain of an easy shot, however, and had settled myself 

 in a good shooting position, when he suddenly stopped at 

 about 200 yards distant, whipped round, and made off 

 again as hard as his legs would carry him. There was a 

 moment of doubt, and I did the wrong thing, which was 

 to fire as he galloped away. A single moment of reflection 

 would have tolH me that his fright was only simulated, and 

 that he was only going for another final gallop, but I stupidly 

 thought he was off for good, and so pressed the trigger and 

 missed. He dashed round a small clump of trees, and then 

 I saw him going over the marsh at his best pace for half a 

 mile until he entered the northern woods and disappeared. 

 It is easy to be wise after the event, but I shall know better 

 next time. 



September 22. — All day down through the worst kind 

 of rocks. Till now the men have been pulling, hauling, 

 and buffeting with the stoniest stream for a fortnight, with 

 only one day's rest, and I had heard no complaints, but now, 

 just before we reached Migwell's Brook, I found Bob, who 

 had been long delayed, standing over his charge, sunk to 



