152 FORTY -FOUR YEARS OJP 



were not able to lift I lie large one ; and having nothing to 

 quarter him with but ray big knife, I look it and com- 

 menced splitting him ; leaving all the back -bone on one 

 side. When I got past the shoulder, I left all the neck 

 on the side with the back-bone. I then tied the two large 

 quarters together, and then the two small ones, and so laid 

 them across the saddle ; putting the large bear on the 

 strongest horse, and the two smaller ones on the other. 

 We then sat out for home, the two horses bending under 

 their burdens ; and when we reached our destination, a 

 little after dark, I never saw a more broken-down pair of 

 horses than they were. 



I sent Mr. Hoye a quarter of each bear. The quarter 

 of the big one, having no back-bone in it, was the lightest ; 

 but it weighed ninety-six pounds ; and we estimated the 

 whole animal to weigh four hundred and twenty-five 

 pounds. The other two probably weighed three hundred 

 pounds each. 



This was the first hunt I had made tliat fall ; and I 

 continued on till I killed seventeen bears. I then aban- 

 doned the bear-grounds ; and, going into the glades to 

 hunt for deer, I killed eighteen head. 



By this time the first of January had arrived, and the 

 hunting season closed. During that fall, I saw twenty 

 bears; of which I killed seventeen, and wounded one, that 

 got ott", having been shot a little before dark. I left him, 

 thinking I could take him the next day ; but in the morn- 

 ing there was a foot deep of snow on the ground. 



The extraordinary success which I had in bear-hunting 

 requires some explanation, which I will endeavor to give. 

 I always kept two good dogs ; one of which walked be- 

 fore me, and the other behind. The one in front would 

 wind the bear, and lead me up to him on that side on 

 whicli hi oould not smell me, and I would come on him 

 unexpectedly. If, by chance, he found us coming on him, 

 ftud ran, the dogs would overtake him before he would be 



