Trail and Camp-Fire 



burying it. On these occasions I was very 

 close, and it was extremely interesting to note 

 the grotesque, half human movements, and 

 giant, awkward strength of the great beast. 

 He would twist the carcass around with the 

 utmost ease, sometimes taking it in his teeth 

 and dragging it, at other times grasping it in 

 his forepaws and half lifting, half shoving it. 

 Once the bear lost his grip and rolled over 

 during the course of some movement, and this 

 made him angry, and he struck the carcass 

 a savage whack, just as a pettish child will 

 strike a table against which it has knocked 

 itself. 



At another time I watched a black bear 

 some distance off getting his breakfast under 

 stumps and stones. He was very active, 

 turning the stone or log over, and then 

 thrusting his muzzle into the empty space to 

 gobble up the small creatures below before 

 they recovered from the surprise and the sud- 

 den inflow of light. From under one log he 

 put up a chipmunk, and danced hither and 

 thither with even more agility, than awkward- 

 ness, slapping at the chipmunk with his paw 

 while it zigzagged about, until finally he 



scooped it into his mouth. 



236 



