A BEAR ADVENTURE. 



A GOOD deal has lately been written upon Indian 

 bears ; I would draw the attention of the reader to 

 far more interesting animals. This preference or 

 favouritism I have arrived at after a long acquain- 

 tance with the different species of both countries, 

 and all such sportsmen as haveV>'>d similar advan- 

 tages as myself unanimously agree vvith me in think- 

 ing as I do. 



When the United States was a colony of Great 

 Britain, and during the subsequent war of 1812, 

 when our troops were constantly employed on out- 

 post duty — often far beyond civilization — very many 

 were the adventures that our sentries had with 

 Bruin, some ludicrous and others serious, the 

 results of which were that the black bear was con- 

 sidered a very dangerous beast to interfere with, 

 and a very amusing as well as wise brute if left 

 alone. 



When I first visited North America my greatest 

 ambition was to shoot a bear, so I sought such 

 localities as these animals were known to be plentiful 

 in ; thus I soon made acquaintance with the game I 

 longed for, one of the rencontres with which I will 

 take from my diary, 



In following a flight of ruffed grouse, which had 

 flushed so far beyond range as to prevent my getting 

 a shot at them, I came across a perfect brake of wild 

 grppes. I couUl not withstand the temptation of 

 halting for a feed, for they had been touched with 







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