SwANiON] INDIAN'S OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 323 



all prepared, discharge arrows at him as rapidly as possible, and so promptly 

 that he is often killed before he is able to reach the foot of the tree. (Le Page 

 du Pratz, 1758, vol. 2, pp. 86-89; Swanton, 1911, pp. 68-69.) 



Adair introduces some white folklore along with his narrative 

 of Indian customs : 



About Christmas, the he and she bears always separate. The former usually 

 snaps off a great many branches of trees, with which he makes the bottom of 

 his winter's bed, and carefully raises it to a proper height, with the green 

 tops of large canes; he chooses such solitary thickets as are impenetrable by 

 the sunbeams. The she bear takes an old large hollow tree for her yeaning 

 winter-house, and chuses to have the door above, to enable her to secure her 

 young ones from danger. When any thing disturbs them, they gallop up a tree, 

 champing their teeth, and bristling their hair, in a frightful manner: and 

 when they are wounded, it is surprising from what a height they will pitch on 

 the ground, with their weighty bodies, and how soon they get up, and run off. 

 When they take up their winter-quarters, they continue the greater part of 

 two months, in almost an entire state of inactivity: during that time, their 

 tracks reach no farther than to the next water, of which they seldom drink, as 

 they frequently suck their paws in their lonely recess, and impoverish their 

 bodies, to nourish them. While they are employed in that surprising task of 

 nature, they cannot contain themselves in silence, but are so well pleased with 

 their repast, that they continue singing hum um um: as their pipes are none 

 of the weakest, the Indians by tliis means often are led to them from a 

 considerable distance, and then shoot them down. But they are forced to 

 cut a hole near the root of the tree, wherein the she bear and her cubs are 

 lodged, and drive them out by the force of fire and suffocating smoke; and as 

 the tree is partly rotten, and the inside dry, it soon takes fire. In this case, 

 they become very fierce, and would fight any kind of enemy ; but, commonly, at 

 the first shot, they are either killed or mortally wounded. However, if the 

 hunter chance to miss his aim, he speedily makes off to a sappling, which the 

 bear by over-clasping cannot climb : the crafty hunting dogs then act their part, 

 by biting behind, and gnawing its hams, till it takes up a tree. I have been 

 often assured both by Indians and others, who get their bread by hunting in 

 the woods, that the she-bear always endeavours to keep apart from the male 

 during the helpless state of her young ones; otherwise he would endeavour to 

 kill them; and that they had frequently seen the she bear kill the male on 

 the spot, after a desperate engagement for the defence of her young ones. 

 Of the great numbers I have seen with their young cubs, I never saw a he bear 

 at such times, to associate with them. (Adair, 1775, pp. 309-310.) 



Methods of hunting bear similar to those above described are 

 remembered by both Creeks and Alabama Indians. Jackson Lewis 

 described a method employed in hunting bear when they had their 

 dens in caves among the rocks. This required skill and daring. 

 One hunter would enter the den bearing a torch and when he saw the 

 light reflected in the bear's eyes, he would say "Come out, sir I" and 

 step to one side, whereupon the bear would pass right on by him and 

 go out. Just outside a man had been stationed who was considered a 

 sure shot, for if the animal was not fatally wounded, he would turn 

 back and very probably kill the man who had first ventured within. 

 Another method, involving less danger, was to have the man with 



