226 FdllTY-FOUR YEARS uF 



my two dogs, went to the same place, and sat on the iden- 

 tical log on wliii li William and I had sat before ; when in 

 a short time I liiard a bear pawing up the leaves, in search 

 of acorns. I had a blanket, with my bread and meat 

 rolled up in it, which I laid down, told the dogs to stay 

 by it, and started in the direction of the noise. I soon 

 discovered a very large bear, but as he was standing with 

 his head towards me, I was afraid to shoot him in the 

 shoulders ; the bones being so strong, that a ball will not 

 sink deep enough to kill him. I waited for him to turn 

 his side toward rae, so that I could get at his heart ; but 

 while I was waiting, one of the dogs left his place, and 

 came walking up to me, when I beckoned to him to lay 

 down, and he stood still. I then looked for the bear, and 

 finding that he was staring at myself and the dog, I knew 

 that he would make off". I shot at him in a hurry, when 

 down he fell, and the two dogs sprang on him like mad 

 tigers. The very worst kind of fighting then took place. 

 I had one young dog, which would seize the bear by the 

 head, but the latter always knocked him off", mashed him 

 to the ground, and bit him desperately. 



I ran up and shot the bear a second time, but too far 

 back to kill him. When I fired, the bear let the dog go ; 

 but as soon as he got loose, he again seized the bear by 

 the ear. The bear dashed him on the ground with one 

 blow, and was again biting him, when I drew out my knife, 

 aiid, putting my thumb on the end of the handle, I held 

 the blade behind, placed my eye on the spot where I knew 

 I could send it to his heart, and, running past him, gave 

 him a back-handed blow, which sank the whole blade into 

 his body. He let the dog go (which they will always do 

 when a knife strikes them), but as soon as the dog got 

 loose, he again took the same hold. The bear threw him 

 and bit him as before, when I again stabbed him ; but in 

 passing him the second time, the bear made a grab at me, 



