248 SPORT, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



was resting over my left elbow. I had proceeded in 

 this way a few steps when suddenly I saw, about eight 

 feet away, on the curving border of the spruces, running 

 directly at me, what appeared to be a huge bear. 

 I had just time to push forward the butt of my rifle 

 and yell when the bear collided with me, knocking me 

 down. It seemed to turn slightly to the left as I 

 pushed my rifle into it, and I clearly recall its shoulder 

 striking my left hip, its head striking just above my left 

 knee, while its claws struck my shin so that it is now 

 black and blue. I had the sensation of one about 

 to be mauled and mutilated. As I fell my rifle 

 dropped, and in my confusion I grabbed with my 

 left hand the animal's fur, and I remember having 

 a quick, foolish thought of the small knife in my 

 pocket. 



The bear was, I believe, more surprised than I. 

 I felt its fur slip through my hand as it quickly turned 

 to its right, and, swinging about, ran back over the 

 hill without any attempt to bite or strike me. Rising 

 as the bear wheeled, I picked up my rifle and shot as 

 the animal was disappearing. The bullet struck it, 

 evidently high in the back. Immediately I took up 

 its trail, followed it down into the woods and on the 

 flats for over an hour, and at last lost the impressions 

 on hard ground. Its tracks showed that it had kept 

 running for more than a mile, and then settled down to 

 a walk on the timbered ridges, continuing to a flat 

 country below. For the first mile I noticed at intervals 

 considerable blood on the leaves of brush and trunks 

 of trees about three feet up from the ground, but after- 

 wards saw no more. 



Who will believe this remarkable incident? Cer- 



