A HUNTER'S LIFE. 



153 



ont of sijrht. The moment I would see one run, I would 

 send the dogs after him ; and as I could run almost as fast 

 as any bear could, when the fight began I was close up, 

 and a shot was certain death. In many cases, however, 1 

 killed them with my knife ; but only when the fight was so 

 close that I was afraid to shoot, lest I should kill a dog ; 

 which has often been done. I never in my life shot a dog 

 in a fight ; for I always took the knife in a close contest. 



Now this, together with my having made it my study 

 for many years, gave me an accurate knowledge of the 

 disposition, habits, feeding-grounds, etc., of bears, and 

 also of the hours and days when they did feed ; all of 

 which it is necessary for a successful hunter, of either bears 

 or deer, to know. I began to hunt in 1795, and pursued 

 the chase every fall till 1839, — a period of forty-four 

 years, — and in a country where game was exceedingly 

 plenty. During this time, I think I found out as much 

 about the nature and habits of the wild animals of the Al- 

 leganies as any other man, white, red, or black, who ever 

 hunted in those regions. 



