AHUNTER'SIilFE. 97 



settled ui)on a place, I went in search of him, both dogs 

 following close at my heels ; and when I reached tlie out- 

 skirts of the ground, where I expected to find him, they 

 began to whine, and show every sign of game being near. 

 There being many large rocks scattered over the ground, 

 1 stood still, fearing that if I moved I should scare the 

 game ; but in a minute a tremendous bear came trotting 

 out from behind one of those rocks, within fifteen or 

 twenty yards of me. Not being conscious of my presence, 

 he was busily engaged hunting chestnuts, standing with 

 his head towards me, I could not wait to get a shot at 

 his side, lest my dogs should spring at him before he 

 turned around ; therefore I let fly at him, wlien down he 

 went, atid dogs and bear were at once in close quarters. 

 I ran u]) quickly, and made two or three blows at him with 

 my knife, and killed him in two minutes from the time 1 

 first fired my gun. 



I then returned, in order to devise some plan for carry- 

 ing him home. He was so old that his teeth were as bhick 

 as the top of a cow's horn, and worn quite blunt at the 

 end ; but he was exceedingly fat and large. Having no 

 other way of conveying him to my cabin, I concluded to 

 try my colt, which I had brought home the evening before. 

 I bridled and saddled him, telling Mary that she must go 

 with me and hold the colt while I fastened the bear on his 

 back. 



She did not refuse, but only remarked, " Is it not 

 enough for you to hunt and kill bears, without making a 

 squaw of me ? " 



However, she quickly put on her bonnet, and off we 

 went for the bear. We first skinned him, and then cut 

 bim in two ; but even after that I could not raise one-half 

 of it high enough to put it on the colt ; so I quartered 

 him, and laid one quarter on the other, on the top of a 

 high rock, which was square on one side, and rose up per- 

 9 o 



