234 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S 



entered a little above his left eye, went out at 

 the root of his right ear, and knocked him over, 

 he then appeared to be in the agonies of death for 

 some time; but at last recovered sufficiently to 

 land on my side of the river, and to stagger into 

 the woods; where I found he bled so copious a 

 stream, that it was impossible that he could go 

 far. Captain Kettle and his assistants had now 

 finished their work, and joined me a second time; 

 and as I wished them to skin the other bear, I sent 

 them to him for that purpose. 



Never in my life did I regret the want of am- 

 munition so much as on this day; as I was by the 

 failure interrupted in the finest sport that man 

 ever had. I usually carried fourteen balls in a 

 box which is in the butt of my rifle, exclusive of 

 the load; besides a couple of bags, tied to my 

 bandoleer, for the use of my double-barrel; one 

 containing six balls, and the other shot. But this 

 morning, I had inadvertently neglected to replen- 

 ish the box, which had only seven balls in it, and 

 had left my bandoleer with the bags in the boat, 

 as I mentioned before; otherwise I am certain, 

 that I could w^ith great ease have killed four or 

 five brace more. They were in such plenty, that 

 I counted thirty-two white-bears, and three black 

 ones : but there were certainly many more, as they 

 generally retire into the woods to sleep after 

 making an hearty meal; and they could not be 

 long in doing that here, for the river was quite 

 full of salmon. 



Having now only two balls left beside that in 



