126 FORTY-FOUR YEAR8 OF 



1 would tie my knife, and stab the bear with it. He 

 objected to the plan ; and said that if we got into a fight 

 in the tree, I would be sure to fall, and that would make 

 it doubly dangerous. I told him that if I got that big 

 knife into the bear's lights, or into his heart, he could not 

 fight long, and I would not strike at him till I could take 

 a sure aim. So up the tree 1 went, till I got on the limbs, 

 and within ten or twelve feet of the bear, when I stopped 

 to rest, and tie my knife to a pole. I then heard some- 

 thing like water faUing on the leaves, and I thought it was 

 caused by fear of my coming after him. I called him a 

 cowardly negro, and told him that he must do something 

 before long ; but as I was cutting my pole from the limbs 

 of the tree, and making it ready to tie my knife on with 

 my moccasin string, I heard a crashing among the limbs 

 of the tree, when, looking up, I saw the bear pitching 

 headlong down through the tree-top, and heard him fall 

 on the ground. I screamed to Hugh to pelt him with the 

 axe, for he had one with him ; but as I heard no noise, I 

 called out to know what was the matter ; — when I was 

 told that the bear was dead. I then came down, and 

 fonnd that the shot had done its work, and that he had 

 hung on to the tree as long as life remained. We tied his 

 feet together, put a strong pole through, and carried him 

 home. It appeared that, while I was ridiculing the poor 

 bear for his cowardice, the water I thought I heard falling 

 was his heart's blood ; and as he had no strength to move, 

 he was fairly excusable for not fighting. 



This fight encouraging us to seek another, in a few days 

 we took our dogs and guns, and started for the Little 

 Crossings. After hunting there a long time, the dogs 

 started off in full cry after what we were pretty certain 

 was H, bear, and in a short time we heard the fighting 

 l)egii» The dogs would run awhile, and fight awhile ; 

 and after a chase of at least three miles, uU the time 



