814 FORTY-FOUR YtARS OF 



she descended to the ground on the off side of the tree, 

 and ran away. 



" Well, old lady," said I, " I shall not let you trick me 

 in that way ; for I know you intend to return, " 



I then hid myself at some distance, and in a few minutes 

 I heard the bushes behind me rustle, and saw her passing? 

 by me toward the tree on which her cubs were hid. She 

 went to the tree, raised her body up against it, and made 

 a strange noise, when her cubs began to come down. I 

 shot the old one as she stood on her hind feet, when she 

 dashed into the bushes, and the cubs ran up the tree 

 again. I let the old one go where she pleased, for I 

 knew she was not able to give me any trouble in taking 

 her cubs. 



I shot one, and seeing that it was not larger than a 

 cat, up the tree I went after the other cub, which, having 

 gone as high as he could, I began to be afraid to look 

 down, lest I should be scared ; so I kept my face up 

 The cub went out on a limb ; and as I could not reach it, 

 I tried to shake it ofif, but did not succeed ; for it held on 

 with its claws and teeth at the same time. At last, taking 

 a long stick, I tied my moccasin to the end, made a noose 

 of the string, and thus, after great diflSculty, secured my 

 little prisoner. 



After I had hunted many years, and had become a very 

 successful sportsman, I took it into my head to form a park 

 in which to keep some deer. During the winter of 1336, 

 there fell a deep snow; and after it had settled down, I 

 made a pair of snow-shoes, in the manner here described. 

 The front part of the shoe has a semi-circular shape, and 

 it is two feet in length, terminating in a point at the back 

 part. The outer margin, formed of one piece of very 

 tough wood, is crossed about the centre by two strong 

 ribs, placed at such a distance apart as will allow of the 

 heel resting on one. and the ball of the foot on the other. 



