256 SPORT, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



because of the succession of benches it was impossible 

 to see more than twenty or thirty feet above each one 

 after it was reached. Holding my rifle cocked, expect- 

 ing to meet the bear close as I came to the top of each 

 bench, I climbed one after another, always very .slowly 

 to keep my breath for a steady shot, until I arrived 

 on the last, when I saw the bear slowly walking along 

 the upper surface of the basin close to the mountain- 

 side, about three hundred yards off. She kept an 

 irregular course, often pausing; and looking for ground 

 squirrels. I followed rapidly, trying to gain, but always 

 stopping when she stopped, ready to drop low if she 

 faced in my direction. After gaining a hundred yards 

 I sat down, rested my elbows on my knees, and aiming 

 at her left hind quarter as she paused, fired, and heard 

 the bullet strike her. She jumped, turned, and stood 

 with forelegs extended forward, apparently panting. 

 The cub at once began to run about bawling. The bear 

 dropped to a sitting posture for a moment and then 

 rose. I fired a second shot at her foreshoulder, and 

 heard the bullet strike her. She gave a great jump, 

 and stood until a third shot was fired, when she fell, 

 kicked once or twice, and was dead. 



The cub was still running about crying, and I went 

 slowly toward it, intending, if possible, to capture it. 

 When within fiftiy feet the cub saw me. It ran around, 

 looking at me with great curiosity, sniffing again and 

 again, approached a few feet, then continued to run back 

 and forth. Finally, as I kept coming closer and closer, 

 it stood on its hind feet, placed its forepaws on the 

 dead mother, and began spitting at me. I stooped 

 low and crept within six feet, ready to place a noose, 

 made from my belt and the straps from the kodak and 





