360 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



heard the shooting in the valley below us. I replied that I 

 had, and asked what it was all about. With a sort of com- 

 ical grin on his greasy face, he answered, '■''Klonass sogers'*^ 

 (perhaps it was soldiers). 



It turned out that Seammux had fired the nine shots at 

 one Goat, and the young Indian had stood by and laughed 

 at him. In the meantime, Dick had brought down another 

 Goat, which made seven— more tlian we could manage; so 

 I gave the order to shoot no more, to pick up our skins, and 

 head for camp. 



It was five o'clock when we reached a spot about three 

 hundred feet above our camp, and looking down and seeing 

 that everything was just as we left it, we sat down to rest 

 before going down the slope. We had scarcely seated our- 

 selves, when Seammux, pointing across the valley in the 

 direction of Seam our Creek, exclaimed, '•'■NiTca tum-tum 

 sjpaz^^ (I think that's a Bear). All eyes were turned in the 

 direction indicated, and, sure enough, a dark object was 

 discovered, which, with my glass, I made out to be a large 

 Black Bear, and with it three good -sized cubs. They were 

 in the bottom of a ravine, the mouth of which entered the 

 valley directly oi^posite where we were sitting, and was 

 about three-quarters of a mile away. The hills on each 

 side were at least fifty feet high; that to the left timbered, 

 that on the right, with the exception of one solitary tree, 

 bare. But that tree proved to be in a favorable position, for 

 the wind coming from the left, the approach had to be made 

 up the slope on which it stood. 



After all, there is a good deal of murder in the shooting 

 down of a wild animal ; at least so it has seemed to me in 

 many cases of my own exxDerience — this one I am about to 

 relate, in particular. Here is an animal enjoying the free- 

 dom of a Avilderness almost unknown to man. There is no 

 cautiousness — no thought of danger — because there is no 

 animal of her surroundings that she dreads. She strolls 

 leisurely along, stopping now and then to pick up some 

 choice root or caress a favorite cub. The sun is sinking 

 lower and lower behind the hills. The shadows of approach- 



