RECREATION. 



189 



am naturally modest, I dislike to in- over the eye, fracturing the skull and 

 trude where I may not be wanted and lodging in the opposite lower jaw, kill- 

 thought that, in this case, my presence ing him instantly. 



.s 







►*" 



m 



# * y : 



AFTER THE SHOOTING. 



might disturb some ante-mortem reflec- 

 tions that should be allowed to take 

 their course. 



No kodak could have focused the 

 various attitudes I assumed and the pecu- 

 liar manceuvers I went through in gaining 

 the desired knowledge and in coming to 

 the immediate locality in which I pre- 

 sumed the bear lay dead or severely 

 wounded. As I attempted to get on to 

 a large log, a twig that assisted me gave 

 way, and fate alone saved me from going 

 headlong over the log on to the bear, 

 which, however, I soon saw, from the 

 profusion of blood flowing out of his 

 mouth and nostrils, was as harmless as 

 a jack-rabbit. 



A post-mortem examination showed 

 that the first shot was mortal, having 

 passed through the fleshy part of the 

 shoulder and through the lungs, break- 

 ing three ribs, but leaving the bear in a 

 condition for a gamey fight or a long 

 run. The last shot took effect just 



Some writers claim that a black bear 

 will not fight, even when wounded. 

 Probably some of them will not, but 

 this one came at me as if he meant to 

 eat me, and I firmly believe that had I 

 not continued to shoot effectively, he 

 would have closed in on me. At least he 

 came with a decidediy business-like air. 



I immediately started on a " bee line" 

 for camp, determined to say nothing of 

 my exploit until after lunch, and then to 

 incidentally tell them of it ; but unfor- 

 tunately for me, on approaching camp 

 my legs became unpardonably active 

 and so anxious was I to tell what 1 had 

 done that my wife, in relating the story, 

 now, says I came in jumps, like a kan- 

 garoo. Whether this be true or not, I 

 candidly confess that 1 could eat no 

 dinner and could talk of nothing but 

 bear while the others were eating. The 

 bear was black as a coal, and a monster. 

 It was all three of us could do to drag 

 him to camp. 



