Trail and Camp-Fire 



running steadily, but the other half stopped at 

 intervals to rear and take a quick look over 

 the bushes in my direction. 



I stood up for a running shot, and as he 

 reared the second time, I drove my bullet at 

 his great chest with all the steadiness the 

 quick shot would allow. With a snarl like 

 that of a fighting dog, he went over backward. 

 He was on his feet again so quickly that it 

 looked to me as if he had turned a back som- 

 ersault, and racing after his companion, caught 

 him up within forty yards, in his haste seem- 

 ing almost to run over him. I sighted at him 

 again through the trees, but held a shade too 

 long, and as I pulled saw him sink below the 

 hilltop, and felt I had shot over. I followed 

 a good blood trail till dark ; and on the next 

 morning, with Fox, followed it for nearly two 

 miles, when we lost it on some open ground. 



Out of those two evenings I have drawn 

 several lessons — most of them derogatory to 

 myself, and to the experience which I thought 

 ten seasons of big game hunting had left in 

 me. But there were also some features for 

 which personal failings did not entirely ac- 

 count. The second bear was probably hit 



too high. I did not then realize how high a 



258 



