IN THE LOUISIANA CANEBRAKES 371 



without much regard for the hounds. The bear accord- 

 ingly selected a small opening and lay flat on its back with 

 its nose and all its four legs extended. The dogs sur- 

 rounded it in frantic excitement, barking and baying, and 

 gradually coming in a ring very close up. The bear was 

 watching, however, and suddenly sat up with a jerk, 

 frightening the dogs nearly into fits. Half of them turned 

 back somersaults in their panic, and all promptly gave 

 the bear ample room. The bear having looked about, lay 

 flat on its back again, and the pack gradually regaining 

 courage once more closed in. At first the bear, which 

 was evidently reluctant to arise, kept them at a distance 

 by now and then thrusting an unexpected paw toward 

 them; and when they became too bold it sat up with a 

 jump and once more put them all to flight. 



For several days we hunted perseveringly around this 

 camp on the Tensas Bayou, but without success. Deer 

 abounded, but we could find no bears ; and of the deer we 

 killed only what we actually needed for use in camp. I 

 killed one myself by a good shot, in which, however, I 

 fear that the element of luck played a considerable part. 

 We had started as usual by sunrise, to be gone all day; 

 for we never counted upon returning to camp before 

 sunset. For an hour or two we threaded our way, first 

 along an indistinct trail, and then on an old disused road, 

 the hardy woods-horses keeping on a running walk with- 

 out much regard to the difficulties of the ground. The 

 disused road lay right across a great canebrake, and while 

 some of the party went around the cane with the dogs, the 

 rest of us strung out along the road so as to get a shot 



