300 fORTY-FOUR YEARS OP 



keep the cub froni our view as rancn as possible ; but. ai 

 the little fellow would peep out at us, when she found him 

 getting too much back or forward, and thought he was 

 becoming exposed, she would place him in such other po- 

 sition as she thought would keep him safe. 



When I saw how careful she was of her cub, I felt sorry 

 for her, and told the boys that we ought to turn her out, 

 and let the poor thing enjoy the company of her little 

 family ; and, in order to enlist their sympathies, I took a 

 pole and tried to separate her from her cub ; but she 

 would not suffer it to leave her grasp. We punched her 

 with our pole, to make her give up the cub ; but she pa- 

 tiently bore all our insults, and would not fight us at all ; 

 being content to suffer anything in order to secure her cub 

 from harm. 



My feelings were so completely in her favor, that a con- 

 siderable debate took place ; and in the argument urged 

 against her, I was reminded of the number of hogs, sheep, 

 and cattle which had been destroyed by bears in the neigh- 

 borhood. I was also told that a bear was no more to be 

 pitied than one of our hogs or sheep, whicli I did not hesi- 

 tate to kill when it was necessary or convenient to do so ; 

 and that there was never a more convenient time for kill- 

 ing a bear than when we had one in a trap. 



When the speeches were finished, it was agreed to take 

 the vote on the question ; when it was decided that, as 

 there had been a hostile disposition as well on one side as 

 on the other, and as no compromise had ever been made, 

 and no surety given to secure us from renewed grievances, 

 the defendant should be shot till she was dead. 



No sooner had we executed the sentence on the old 

 mother, and let the cubs loose, than they claimed us for 

 their protectors ; and when we ran from them, which we 

 could easily do, as they were not larger than a half-grown 

 cat, thej; followed after us, crying as loud as they could. 



