212 



FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



We had left our moccasins and leggings close to our 

 fire, where we intended to end the hunt for deer ; because, 

 as we were often obliged to get out of the canoe into the 

 water, the less clothes we had on the better. As the rat- 

 tlesnakes were very numerous on the shore, we dare not 

 venture in our bare feet to the assistance of the dog, or to 

 see what kind of animal it was. On lighting our candle, 

 which had been extinguished during the bustle, we dis- 

 rovered his tracks in the mud, which proved t-o be those 



of the largest kind of bear ; but we left him and Bosin 



to fight as best they could. Bosin did not return to ua 

 until near day-light, when we found that he was consider- 

 ably hurt, and greatly fatigued. 



While William Browning, the Davises, and myself werf 

 Bkiruiug the fine bear that we took out cf his hole, we 



