A hunter's life. 101 



plenty of all kinds of game within three or four miles of 

 home, having heard of a fine hunting-ground out on the 

 Negro Mountain, I left my little Mary, and spent a week 

 out in that dense wilderness ; at the end of which time I 

 returned with only one small buck and a she-bear, which 

 was a very fine animal. I had just killed the buck as a 

 heavy thunder-storm was coming up, and I was pushing 

 on as rapidly as I could for my camp, when I spied a bear 

 running as fast as it could. The ground being clear of 

 underbrush, I ran after it, thinking it was only running to 

 get out of the storm. It kept its hind parts all the time 

 toward me ; but as I found I was gaining ground, I re- 

 served my shot until I saw it could not run any faster. 

 I increased my speed, and began to draw quite near, when 

 she turned to make battle, with her mouth wide open from 

 fatigue and want of breath, and her belly hanging almost 

 on the ground with fat. She then stood looking at me, 

 and I at her, till I shot a ball through her brains. She 

 was the best, though the smallest, bear I had killed. When 

 I got all this meat home, I suspended my labors in the 

 chase for that fall. 



I do not pretend to say that I hunted no more, for I 

 dare say I hunted some days after that, though nothing 

 occurred to make any lasting impression on my mind 

 But whether I hunted or not, I know I killed no more 

 bears or deer. 



Some time in February, I took out my dogs early in the 

 morning, to chase a fox, when I found the tracks of a 

 wolf, and blood in them. I discovered, also, that he tra- 

 veled on three legs. I followed his trail over the roughest 

 hills, along the Yough river, and at last traced him into 

 the river. As I could not think of stopping in a chase 

 like this, I went down the river until I found a canoe, in 

 which I crossed to the other shore, followed up the river 

 nntil I again struck his trail, and traced it to Bear 

 9* 



