i 4 WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 



great alarm, usually over several of the criss- 

 crossing trails, to another part of the yard. Lion 

 tracks leading into the yard from the woods 

 showed that a lion had sneaked upon the deer. 

 But evidently he had been outwitted. 



Climbing down into a deep, snowy canon, a 

 tree limb that I was clinging to broke and I 

 tumbled forward. In falling I had a glimpse of a 

 fresh bear track in the snow where I was to 

 alight. I had been hoping to see a bear track 

 but when I landed upon this one I did not know 

 what to do with it. Quickly scrambling to my 

 feet I looked all around but could see only a 

 few yards off because of thick timber. Sud- 

 denly I heard a furry rustle behind. I turned 

 quickly, stepped on a snowshoe, and took another 

 header. A camp bird behind me gave a low call. 

 Then I braced up. 



A bear track at any time is exciting enough, 

 but it is a hair-raising surprise to fall upon one 

 in a canon. From where I stood I could see 

 that this fellow had reared up with forepaws 

 against a tree limb and I suppose looked and lis- 

 tened. Closer to me the mixed-up tracks and 

 a bunch of hair on a limb showed that he had 

 been scratching his back. Moving slowly and 

 softly from tree to tree I slipped forward. The 

 tracks entered a regular trail deep in the snow 

 where this bear had gone back and forth. I 



