A GOOD SHOT. 163 
as advisable, we were witnesses of a procecding almost in- 
credible. Bruin was evidently in a magnanimous frame 
of mind, or was overcome by his natural politeness, for, 
without worrying or mauling, never for a moment using 
his teeth, he picked up the poor sheep between his paws, 
placed it on the top of the rails, then pushed it over, and 
with the agility of a greyhound cleared the fence himself. 
The shock had roused the victim and re-animated him, for 
both walked off into the bush, the one satisfied to be driven, 
the other apparently a not overexacting shepherd. Fol- 
lowing up the duo as rapidly and silently as circumstances 
would permit, We again came on both; but the bear had 
been annoyed, or the sheep could or would not do what 
was wanted, for Bruin had seized the unfortunate, and 
dragged him on a log, and was using both teeth and claws 
with animosity and purpose. Making a stalk, I got within 
twenty yards of both; the sheep’s head had already been al- 
most severed from the body, and the hot and liquid gore 
was evidently giving intense satisfaction to the slayer. 
With a long, steady aim I covered the white horseshoe on 
the bear’s breast; the gun was a large and heavy one, the 
necessary pressure of the trigger was given, and without a 
moan, almost without a kick, the would-be despoiler and his 
prey fell to the earth together. The shot was a good one; 
the results, on dissection, proved with what precision and 
force a solid bullet can be fired from a common shot-gun. 
This bear weighed four hundred pounds, and, from the de- 
cayed and worn teeth, must have been an old stager; in 
fact, I think age is wanted to give black bears the courage 
to attack and kill cattle. 
The white shoe on the breast is commonly, in some sec- 
tions of the country, the spot which the trapper waits to 
be exposed, to shoot at. A ball entering there, and going 
either upward or horizontally, always proves fatal. How- 
