11ECREA riON. 



A CAMP ON THE PEND D OREILLE. 



a bear. Still, I knew that nothing would 

 suit a bear better than prowling through 

 that swamp at that time of day. 



Presently I heard another noise ; and 

 it continued, off and on, for half an 

 hour, all the time coming slowly toward 

 me. Having almost decided by this 

 time that it was a bear which was 

 approaching, I examined my gun care- 

 fully and raised the hammer preparatory 

 to firing. 



In a few minutes two small ears 

 appeared above the tall grass, but only 

 for an instant. There was no longer 

 any doubt as to what I was about to en- 

 counter. My stratagem, up to the pres- 

 ent, had been successful, and the ques- 

 tion of winning or losing a trophy, 

 within the next ten minutes, depended 

 more on the keeping or losing of my 

 head than on my marksmanship. 



Not feeling the least nervousness, the 

 chances were in my favor. I held my 

 gun ready to fire, for five minutes, 

 which seemed an hour. All this time 

 I could see the grass and underbrush 

 shake, but that was all. Finally, how- 

 ever, his whole body appeared in an 

 open spot. He seemed to have scented 

 me and mounted an old log to re- 

 connoitre. 



My eye and the rifle sights im- 



mediately fell in line with what I took 

 to be his shoulder. Almost simulta- 

 neous with the sharp report of the 40-65 

 there came the roar of a mad and 

 wounded bear, and he started on a run 

 toward me. 



Under such circumstances a man's 

 mind is very active — also his legs ; but 

 the predominant thought with me was 

 that I had nine chances of stopping him 

 before he reached me, and a good knife 

 back of that. Without taking the gun 

 from my shoulder a second missile went 

 bear-ward, grazing his nose and causing 

 him to change his course to an acute 

 angle. 



A third shot went through a six inch 

 cedar tree as he passed it. At this 

 juncture Bruin neared an opening in 

 the brush, about twenty feet wide. 

 This was my chance, and was likely to 

 be the last one, for he was not far from 

 another body of underbrush that was al- 

 most impenetrable. Dropping the rifle 

 in line with his body I followed up to 

 his head and touched the trigger. The 

 noise and the motion ceased, and 

 apparently all was over. 



My next desire was to ascertain 

 whether or not I had killed him. I 

 could not see nor hear him, but was in 

 no wise anxious to hurry forward. I 



