24 Reminiscences of 



stripped down to his drawers and stocking feet, and, 

 hatless, with his rifle and big knife, crept cautiously 

 toward his victim. His knife was a feature, weigh- 

 ing three or four povmds — ^his grizzly knife, as he 

 called it. It was somewhat like a cleaver, except that it 

 was sharpened on the back from the point for three 

 or four inches. He claimed that he was once fol- 

 lowed up a tree by a wovmded bear, where the latter 

 could by reaching the lower branches lift himself up, 

 and that he reached down with his big knife and 

 lopped off the bear's claws, and mangled his feet so 

 badly that he fell oft' the tree and quit the attack. 

 Bennet based his safety largely — upon failure to kill 

 — on his speed as a sprinter, and upon his knife as 

 a last resort. 



He soon passed out of sight, and after a little 

 while I concluded to picket my horse and climb up 

 a tree with my gun, from which I was able to view 

 the field. I saw the bear was still feeding, oblivious 

 of our approach and of Bennet's proximity, creeping 

 through the tall wild oats and occasionally rising 

 cautiously for a view. It was a bold, hazardous 

 imdertaking. Bennet kept on vintil he seemed to be 

 within about sixty yards of the bear, and bruin was 

 still vmsuspicious. Here, cautiously peeping over the 

 oats, he gave a light whistle, which brought the bear 

 up and turning slowly around inspecting the origin 

 of the sound. As he turned his side toward Bennet 

 with his forepaws hanging dowTi, the latter fired, and 

 I saw the bear fall where he stood, and Bennet like- 

 wise dropped in his place for a moment, when he 

 carefully arose to see if any advance had occurred, 

 and, not seeing an3% withdrew cautiously, keeping 



