A hunter's life. 327 



of moccasins, which were soled with stout leather, they 

 were frozen so hard and stiff, that I could not travel down 

 the steep places, except by holding on to a bush, and run- 

 ning from that down to another, which I would seize hold 

 of, and thence take another start. In this manner I fol- 

 lowed his tracks down the mountain, until at last I saw 

 him lying in a sink, and to all appearances dead ; but as 

 I watched him carefully, I discovered that he breathed ; 

 and when I spoke to him, he merely shuddered, and then 

 became motionless again. I frequently shouted at him, 

 but could not rouse him to anything like sensibility. 



Taking my gun in my hand, I let go the bush I was 

 holding by, when down I went into the sink, within one 

 step of the bear, which sprang to his feet as he heard me 

 rushing down the bank. We were so close to each other 

 that I had neither room nor time to loose ; and as I en- 

 tered the sink, I wheeled toward him, with the intention 

 of firing and jumping down the steep bank, when, if he 

 followed me, I determined to run down the hill as far as 

 he might be inclined to pursue me. But, by good luck, as 

 I entered the sink I fired, without taking any sight, and 

 the ball accidentally striking him in the head, he fell. 

 Before he had time to recover, I attacked him with my 

 knife, and gave him two fatal stabs, which laid him dead 

 at my feet. I then rolled his carcass down the mountain 

 to the level ground, dressed it, hung it up, and returned 

 home. 



In a few days there fell another snow, and the weather 

 became exceedingly cold. A very large buck which ranged 

 along the western side of the river, was so cunning that 

 the hunters could never get a shot at him ; and though I 

 had tried him several times, yet by some sly manoeuvre 

 he always contrived to frustrate my plans, and make his 

 escape. 



On the morning spoken of above, I was going to give 



