54 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



he had seen any game, he pointed to the ground before 

 him, showing the fresh trail of a bear in the snow, 

 which I had not observed, as mj attention had been 

 dra"\\Ti to him. He made signs for me to go with him, 

 and I need hardly say that I followed him with a 

 heart beating with joy and excitement. We may have 

 gone about five miles, through marsh, moor, and bush, 

 over hiU and valley, and hundreds of fallen trees, con- 

 stantly following the trail, when my silent comrade 

 came to a halt, and pointing to a thick coppice, said, — 

 " I believe we find him." My excitement was now at 

 its height ; but the Indian directed me quietly to take 

 my stand by a tree, while he went round the coppice 

 to see if the trail was continued on the other side. I 

 had in the mean time di'opped a ball over the swan-shot, 

 and eagerly watched every motion of the bush. It 

 opened suddenly about fifty paces from me, and the 

 bear, a dark brown fellow, walked out to seek his 

 safety in flight. In an instant my ball with the 

 swan-shot, was in his skin, and immediately after that 

 the barrel of buck-shot. Perhaps surprised by the re- 

 port of the gun, perhaps smarting from the buck-shot. 

 Bruin stood for a moment snulfing the air, and then 

 ran furiously towards me. A ball from the Indian's 

 rifle stopped his attempt to revenge himself, and 

 stretched him dead upon the earth. The Indian cut 

 down a young straight tree with his tomahawk, and 

 having ripped open and cleaned out the bear, we 

 bound his paws together, and, as he was not very 

 large, slung him to the tree, and carried him to Preston, 

 which was not very far off. We arrived in the even- 

 ing, and my Indian friend sold the bear for four dollars. 



