COASTING 17 



the safest places in the world without one. 

 Bears attempt to kill only those who attempt 

 to kill them, and I hadn't any notion of trying 

 this. What I was doing in the way of camping 

 any boy could do, and it wouldn't cost much, 

 either. My equipment was not at all expensive. 

 About all there was to it was the sleeping bag and 

 the snowshoes. Of course I always carried a 

 camera. 



Trailing this bear took me within a quarter of a 

 mile of my camp. So I got my sleeping bag, 

 thinking to be better prepared for the next night 

 in case I trailed the bear far away. After wan- 

 dering about in the woods for some miles the 

 bear struck straight for the top of the Continental 

 Divide. At two o'clock in the afternoon I 

 followed his tracks over the top and started down 

 the eastern slope. We then were at least fifteen 

 miles from his former den. On reaching timber- 

 line on the eastern side he started along the 

 mountain side as though going to a definite 

 place, so I walked slowly, keeping a sharp look- 

 out for him. At last, looking with my field 

 glass, I saw him sitting in the sunshine by a hole 

 which evidently was the entrance to an old den. 



After watching him for some time he rolled 

 over in the snow, rubbed his back, then went 

 into the hole. Apparently he had become tired 

 of his former den or for some other cause had 



