A hunter's life. 221 



close, and stood looking towards me. Being so near, I 

 sent a ball into her breast, which tore a hole through her 

 heart lengthwise and killed her instantly. The dog caught 

 one of the little play-lads, and held on until I killed it 

 with my knife ; but the other cub cleared himself, 



I dressed the two bears, and, the sun being low, I vveut 

 into the feeding-ground, where the dog soon began to show 

 signs of game. I followed him slowly, and saw a little 

 bear eating chestnuts ; but, as there were many signs of 

 bears thereabouts, I did not wish to shoot at it, lest 1 

 should scare some larger ones. 



I crept softly towards it, thinking that I would get near 

 enough for the dog to lay hold of it, when I could kill it 

 without noise. I crept on until within a few steps of where 

 I intended to let the dog slip, when the bear got alarmed, 

 stopped eating, took a look all round, and sat down to 

 watch; so I thought that I would stand so still that the 

 little fellow could not distinguish me from a stump. There 

 he sat, while I remained in my place as quietly as I could 

 stand, until I happened to turn my eyes to the left. There 

 stood the old one, and two more young ones ; the former 

 being within ten steps of me, and presenting as fair a mark 

 as could be desired. 



I instantly turned my gun on the old bear, and shot her 

 dead ; when the dog, which had been long watching the cub, 

 at the crack of the gun, sprang on it, while the other two 

 ran up a tree. Loading quickly, I shot one of them, and 

 then ran to help the dog, and keep the other from scratch- 

 ing his eyes out. I stabbed this one, and then took the 

 dog to the tree where I had left the remaining one ; but 

 it was gone. However, the dog followed his trail, and 

 soon had him up another tree, when I went to it and 

 jhot him ; thus killing five bears in about three hours. I 

 walked iutr camp with a good grace, and T thought ray 

 19* 



