load of dirt and stones had been piled up. While 

 I watched the digging, a woodchuck rushed out, 

 only to be overtaken and seized by the bear, who, 

 having finished his meal, shuffled on out of sight. 



I followed the trail through woods, groves, and 

 openings. After an hour or more without seeing the 

 grizzly, I climbed a cliff, hoping to get a glimpse of 

 him on some ridge ahead. I could see his line of 

 tracks crossing a low ridge beyond and felt that he 

 might still be an hour or so in the lead. But, in de- 

 scending from the cliff, I chanced to look back 

 along my trail. Just at that moment the bear 

 came out of the woods behind me. He was trail- 

 ing me! 



I do not know how he discovered that I was fol- 

 lowing him. He may have seen or scented me. Any- 

 way, instead of coming directly back and thus 

 exposing himself, he had very nearly carried out 

 his well-planned surprise when I discovered him. I 

 found out afterwards that he had left his trail far 

 ahead, turning and walking back in his own foot- 

 prints for a distance, and trampling this stretch a 

 number of times, and that he had then leaped into 

 scrubby timber and made off on the side where his 

 tracks did not show in passing along the trampled 

 132 



