A hunter's life. 231 



wasted too much hay, by eating from the stat ks, 1 had a 

 long rack made, which would hold hay enough to last them 

 two weeks. I also kept there a yoke of oxen and a sled, 

 on which we would haul hay to the rack, until it was full, 

 when we would leave the cattle to eat it as they pleased. 

 When they wanted water, it was within ten steps of the 

 rack ; and if the wind blew from the east, they could get 

 shelter on the west side of the rack, but when it shifted 

 to the west, they could change their position to the other 

 side. 



Having got through the winter, we all went to work on 

 the farm, and in the mill, until about the end of the fol- 

 lowing May, when I took my third son, James, and started 

 off to hunt a bear. We searched all the beech grounds, 

 but found not a single bear, and I despaired of finding 

 any ; but as we were walking on the outskirts of the beech 

 land, I saw a bear rising up to look for ua. Having got 

 some notice of our approach, she stood up like a man, to 

 reconnoitre. I fired at her in a hurry, and down she fell ; 

 but her ladyship was not much hurt. I had only one dog, 

 a tine old fellow, which was a cripple, from a wound re- 

 ceived in one foot during a hard fight ; but he was strong, 

 and willing to do all he was able. James was holding 

 him v/hen I shot, but he then let him go, and at the bear 

 be went, in good earnest, when a very fair tight took 

 place. James and I ran up to see the fun, and it was hard 

 to tell which had the best of the fight ; for when the bear 

 seemed to be in a fair way of getting the dog in her arms, 

 he would let go his hold, and run off out of her reach, but 

 when she attempted to run, he would seize her by the 

 hams, and run round and round, until she would be forced 

 to stand and fight again. In this way the fight was kept 

 up, until it became so close that I concluded lo put an 

 end to it, for I feared that the bear miglit get hold of the 

 dog, and wound him. So I waited until I saw a fair 



