246 FORTY-FOUR YEAKS OF 



into the trap, as the smell of the powder would scare tne 

 other bears from going in. I then laid down far enough 

 away to keep the smoke of the powder from the trap, and 

 when the old bear looked at me I shot her in the head. I 

 then stepped on the trap, to go to the lever which rai-ed 

 up its top, when I heard a scuifle inside. I thouglit it 

 might be possible that I had not killed the old one ; so I 

 went back, looked in, and saw the bullet-hole in the bear's 

 head, and, slipping my hand in through the crack, I put 

 my finger into the hole, and felt that the bullet had gone 

 into the brain. Thereupon, I stepped on the trap again 

 to pass over to the lever, when, hearing the same noise 

 again, I w^ent to the front, and on looking in, discovered 

 another young bear in the trap with his mother. I then 

 shot hira, and thus secured the whole family. 



I suppose the old bear and one of the cubs entered and 

 took hold of the bait, and as the other cub was in the act 

 of coming in also, the trap fell on his head. 



After cleaning and securing them, I turned into the 

 hunting-ground, and walked to a spot where I knew an 

 old buck used to feed. I found his tracks, and, having a 

 young dog with me, which was not trained, he was so 

 eager to follow the buck that I could scarcely hold hira 

 back. 



The buck had gone into a thicket to lay down, whither 

 I followed him cautiously, and presently saw his horns 

 sticking up like a grain-cradle. He was laying down 

 looking at me, with his head over the bushes, but his whole 

 body obscured. 



I raised my rifle, sighted at the end of his nose, fired, 

 and down went the horns. Then it was that my moccasins 

 made tracks fast, for on him I sprang, and cut his throat 

 without looking where the ball had struck ; though I found 

 afterwards that it had penetrated about three inclies higher 

 op than J had aimed it, and had dashed out the deer's 



