336 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



do him any serious injury. Having, as I thought, every 

 thing ready, I took hold of the lever, and raised the trav, 

 when the bear sprang out at the side next to the laurel, 

 which was very thick. I saw the bear running into the 

 thicket ; but as two of the best dogs had not seen him 

 depart, and were sure he was still in the trap, they obsti- 

 nately refused to leave it, and it was a considerable time 

 before I could make them sensible of their mistake. Even 

 after I got them to take the trail, they ran but a short 

 distance, and returned to the trap, still believing that he 

 was there. That was the last I ever saw of the bear. 



The following week I again went to examine the traps, 

 one of which was large, and made of steel ; but when I 

 reached the place where this trap was set, I found that it 

 was gone. I took the trail, and followed the bear until 

 he entered a thick laurel swamp. As there was a heavy 

 log-chain to the trap, which made it easy to follow him, I 

 went on until I heard the laurel breaking, when, knowing 

 that a bear was running off, I sent the dogs after him. 

 They were soon out of hearing, when I took the trail of 

 the trap again, being determined to find it ; for I knew 

 that the bear which the dogs were running had no trap 

 about him. 



I followed the trail until I came to a very large bear, 

 which was not only dead, but nearly eaten up. Another 

 uncommonly large bear, having found him in the trap, had 

 fallen on him ; and of all the fights I have ever seen the 

 signs of in my life, that beat them. The log-chain was 

 wrapped around the laurels, some of which had been 

 pulled out by the roots, while others had been smashed 

 down. Heaps of brush had been rolled up, logs turned 

 over, and rocks moved out of their places ; indeed, it 

 looked muca as if a yoke of wild, strong oxen had been 

 turned out with the yoke on. Then imagine two infuriated 

 bears ; for no man can believe what immense .strength there 



