A HUNTEfi's LIVE. 141 



CHAPTER V. 



Desperate Fight with ii Ueiir in a Den — Kills him — Measures six inches of clear 

 Fat — Dog baJly woumlwi — Went after Turkeys, but killed a Bear — Van Sickle's 

 ludiirouH Turkey Kane — Kills an old Bear and three Cubs — Kills another Bear 

 on a Hog. in sight of his Cabin — Sells his Property to Dr. Brooke, and loses 

 nearly all — .Mary"s firmness and decision of Character — Family nearly broken 

 up— Buys some Powder and Lead on Credit — He desponds, but goes to the Woods 

 — Kills three Bears in about four hours. 



The hunting season being over, its limit usually being 

 the first day of January, Hugh and I having concluded to 

 go to the Big Gap, we went to our camp within three 

 miles of the rocks where the bears had previously been so 

 plenty ; but our attack had so scared them, that only one 

 holed there during the winter just mentioned, and he was 

 deep under the rocks. My dog ran into the hole, and 

 attacked the bear in his own house, where I could hear 

 him yelping every minute, but could do nothing to relieve 

 him, nor would he come out when called. There were 

 three places of egress for the bear, but he would not leave 

 his den, 



I had given Hugh a bayonet, fixed on a handle like a 

 pitchfork, with directions to run it through the bear if he 

 came out by him, and I guarded the hole at which the 

 bear was most likely to come out. After fighting for half 

 an hour, through a small crack in the rock I spied some 

 part of the bear. I put the gun in the crack, and fired, 

 when out he came. I called to Hugh to run his bayonet 

 into him, but he being too timid to make the attempt, as 

 quick as possible I rammed a naked ball into my rifle, and 

 as the bear wasi eaving the place, I fired again, and broke 



