66 HILLS AND LAKES. 



critters, as I knew they would, and I jumped into the 

 canoe and shoved off. I pulled their ears, and made 

 'em cry out again. Presently I heard a crackling and 

 crashing among the bushes, and a puffing and growl- 

 ing, and I knew the old she one was coming. I was 

 eight or ten rods from the shore, and as she came in 

 sight, I held up one of the cubs and made it sing out. 

 The old bar saw me, and her baby, and put into the 

 water after me, for a fight. I let her swim to within 

 about twenty or thirty feet of the canoe, and picked 

 up my rifle to settle matters, and pointed it at her and 

 pulled. The cussed thing snapped. Things began to 

 look serious just then ; my best chance was to paddle 

 for it, and Squire, the way I pulled for a few minutes 

 was great I gained on the old lady, and had time to 

 prime my rifle. This time there was no mistake. As 

 she came within a few yards of me I put a ball 

 through her skull, and she turned over in the water 

 dead. I hauled her into the canoe, and pulled back 

 for- the rock again. I wanted a crack at the father of 

 the family, if he was about. So I waited until to- 

 wards night. Occasionally I'd make the young ones 

 squall, as a kind of notice to the old one, that he was 

 wanted. Sure enough, just before sundown, in an- 



