CHAPTEK XXIV. 



A BEAR CHASE A GOLD HUNTER TACKLING FOR 



SALMON FISHING. 



I had a glimpse of him, but he shot by me 

 Like a young hound upon a burning scent. 



[Dryden. 



Know'st thou not any whom corrupting gold 

 Would tempt into a close exploit of death? 



\Shakspeare. 



EER were at one time very abun- 

 dant in this region, but merciless 

 hunting at all seasons has either 

 extinguished or driven them to 

 other feeding-grounds less acces- 

 sible to their inhuman enemies. 

 It is, however, the Bears' paradise. 

 They seem to have a penchant for 

 the sheepf olds lying on forest bor- 

 ders. Every farmer considers a 

 bear-trap as necessary as a plow, and captures are 

 frequent. 



Our first camp was in the neighborhood of sev- 

 eral farms where bruin had marauded successfully. 

 DUN, being the most ambitious hunter in the 

 party, was in constant expectation of an opportu- 



