88 A SPORTING PARADISE 



" Near him a spruce-tree sprang out of the rocks 

 and reached upward to a ledge far above. Slowly 

 he raised himself against this, but turned to look 

 at me again, sitting quietly in his own path 

 that he could no longer consider his and smiling 

 at his discomfiture as I remember how ashamed 

 he is to be outdone. Then an electric shock 

 seemed to hoist him out of the trial. He shot 

 up the tree in a succession of nervous, jerky 

 jumps, rising with astonishing speed for so huge 

 a creature, smashing the little branches, ripping 

 the rough bark with his great claws, sending 

 down a clattering shower of chips and dust 

 behind him, till he reached the level of the ledge 

 above and sprang out upon it ; where he stopped 

 and looked down to see what I would do next. 

 And there he stayed, his great head hanging 

 over the edge of the rock, looking at me intently 

 till I rose and went quietly down the trail. 



" It was morning when I came back to the 

 salmon-pool. Unlike the mossy forest floor, 

 the hard rock bore no signs to tell me what 

 I was most curious to know whether he came 

 down the tree or found some other way over the 

 mountain." 



Another bear adventure related by Mr. Long in 



