184 OUR NATIONAL PARKS 



waited until my bear stood right, when I made 

 a sure, or at least a good shot back of the fore 

 leg. In case he showed fight, I got up the tree 

 I had in mind, before he could reach me. But 

 bears are slow and awkward with their eyes, and 

 being to windward they could not scent me, and 

 often I got in a second shot before they saw the 

 smoke. Usually, however, they tried to get 

 away when they were hurt, and I let them go 

 a good safe while before I ventured into the 

 brush after them. Then Sandy was pretty sure 

 to find them dead ; if not, he barked bold as a 

 lion to draw attention, or rushed in and nipped 

 them behind, enabling me to get to a safe dis- 

 tance and watch a chance for a finishing shot. 



" Oh yes, bear-hunting is a mighty interesting 

 business, and safe enough if followed just right, 

 though, like every other business, especially the 

 wild kind, it has its accidents, and Sandy and I 

 have had close alls at times. Bears are nobody's 

 fools, and they know enough to let men alone 

 as a general thing, unless they are wounded, or 

 cornered, or have cubs. In my opinion, a hun- 

 gry old mother would catch and eat a man, if 

 she could ; which is only fair play, anyhow, for 

 we eat them. But nobody, as far as I know, 

 has been eaten up in these rich mountains. 

 Why they never tackle a fellow when he is lying 

 asleep I never could understand. They could 

 gobble us mighty handy, but I suppose it 's 

 nature to respect a sleeping man." 



