238 WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS 
defied the dogs for a time, the cubs meanwhile 
keeping on the move. She continued her re- 
treat at a surprising speed for a three-legged 
bear. The thin snow covering indicated that 
she ran at something of a gallop, making long, 
lunging leaps. 
About a mile beyond her first affray with the 
dogs the mother swam with the cubs across a 
small mountain lake and paused in the willows 
on the farther shore. Two of the dogs swam 
boldly after them. Just before they reached 
the farther shore this daring mother turned 
back to meet them and succeeded in killing 
both. One of the other dogs had made his way 
round the lake and audaciously charged the cubs 
in the willows. They severely injured him but 
he made his escape. On went the bears. The 
hunters reached the lake and abandoned pur- 
sult. 
The next year another hunt with hounds 
was launched. There were a dozen or more 
dogs. The cubs, now more than two years old, 
were still with the mother. The hounds started 
them on the slope of Echo Mountain. They 
at once headed for the heights. After a run of 
three or four miles they struck their old route, 
retreated as before, and again swam the lake, 
but continued their way on up the range. 
At timberline there were clusters of thickly 
