156 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



Jther returned ; the latter not being worth as iiuch rope 

 as would hang him. The old dog was so cut and tired 

 that he was not able to trace the wounded wolf, and the 

 other would not try to do it ; so I lost him. But Dr. 

 Brooke's sugar-camp hands found him lying dead near the 

 pine-tree where I had last seen him. 



Mr. Hoy and myself went to the old camp, and stopped 

 there for that evening. In the morning we started for the 

 rocks, and then separated, to look for such holes as might 

 have bears in them. Hoy soon called me ; but when I 

 joined him I found that he had only discovered a hole into 

 which a bear had carried broken laurel, and then deserted 

 it. We started out again, when I found a hole into which 

 a bear had been carrying moss. I called for Hoy, who 

 joined me ; but we could not determine whether there was 

 a bear in the hole or not. 



At length I cut a long pole, which I poked into the 

 hole, and with it felt the bear very plainly. Hoy disputed 

 the fact, when, to prove the truth of my assertion, I gave 

 the bear a hard punch with the pole, and then told Hoy 

 to take it and feel for himself. I knew the bear would be 

 ready. Hoye took the pole,, and, standing on a sloping 

 rock, gave the bear a hard punch ; when the latter laid 

 hold of the pole, and gave it such a sudden pull, that Hoy 

 was drawn headlong down to the mouth of the hole. He 

 made great efforts to get out, but did not succeed until I 

 reached down, caught him by one hand, and raised him 

 from his fearful position. However, I do not think that 

 the bear was sufficiently angry, or he would have taken 

 hold of him, as they were within six or eight feet of each 

 other when Hoy was in the mouth of the hole. 



After Hoye's escape, we took the pole by turns, and 

 punched the bear till he got furious, and tried to run out 

 at us ; but as he put his head out of the hole, I took a 

 ileliberate aim at him, and blew his brains out. It was a 



