A HUNTER'S LIFE. 21S 



followed the old bear to the creek, and on the opposite 

 bank, there she lay, on her back, now and then moving one 

 foot a little. I looked at her, and, thinking she was breatli- 

 ing her last breath, I turned to go to the dogs, when it 

 struck rae that I had known bears to act in that way, and 

 then get up and clear themselves. I turned back ; and as 

 she still lay in the same position, I took good aim, at a 

 distance of not more than twenty steps, and fired at her 

 heart ; when she sprang up on her feet, and ran off out 

 of sight. I told her to go ; being satisfied that if my last 

 shot liad not fixed her nothing would. 



I then went to the dogs, which had two of the young 

 ones up a tree. These I soon shot, hung them up, and 

 went back to see what had become of the old one. I 

 crossed on the same log, and found her lying on the ground 

 dead. 



On examination, I discovered that the ball which passed 

 through the laurel had struck her on the big joint of the 

 fore-leg, on the bone of which it had made a broad wound, 

 and had then fallen out. The wound being painful from 

 contact with the cold water, she laid down to wait 

 until the pain would cease ; and if I had gone to the dogs 

 before I shot her the second time, I should never have 

 seen her again. 



I then started for home, but did not reach it until a 

 late hour in the night. The next day, Vansickle and I 

 went for the bears, which we loaded on a horse, and 

 brouglit home in good order. They were fine and fat, and 

 an excellent addition to our stock of winter provisions. 



Soon after this time, there was a fine warm spell of wea- 

 ther ; during which four friends came to my house to stay 

 all night, who told me that they had started to go to the 

 Little Crossings to hunt. They seemed — or 1 thought so 

 fit least — as if they did not care whether I went with them 



