346 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



holding her bead sideways. But she succeeded in getting 

 off and we saw no more of her. 



We continued our course after bears, going from one 

 place to another, and at last saw the tracks of one, which 

 we traced into a laurel-swamp. We sent our dogs in after 

 him ; but, as they could make nothing of him, they re- 

 turned to us, and we continued our course to another 

 beech-ground, which seldom failed. 



As we were drawing near to that place, which was our 

 last hope of seeing a bear, for the evening had become 

 warm, and the snow began to thaw and fall from the tall 

 hemlocks, I told James that as we approached the out- 

 skirts of the beech ground we should be very careful and 

 watch closely ; for every bear in the woods would feed 

 that evening, and I expected to see one there. 



We proceeded with all care, and presently saw a large 

 boar gathering beech-nuts, as if not aware of our presence. 

 I told James to keep the two dogs quiet, while I would 

 draw near and shoot the bear ; but he asked me to let him 

 have the shot ; to which I agreed. 



He started towards the bear, and had gone some dis- 

 tance, when he made a noise, which the animal heard. I 

 saw the bear starting to run off, and called to James to 

 shoot, when he fired at him. Off went the dogs, and my- 

 self after them. 



I soon came up to the fight, but, shooting in too great 

 a hurry, I hit the bear so far back that I did not kill him. 

 As the combat became close, our dogs being in danger 

 every moment of being crippled, if not killed, seeing a 

 good chance for the use of my knife, I took advantage of 

 it, and made a stroke at him, followed by another in quick 

 succession, which ended the last bear-fight I ever had 



That occurred in October, 1839. In company with my 

 youngest son, Jeremwh, I then went to Bear Creek Glades 

 to hunt ; and the fi'-st morning I found the tracks of a 



