2 . 
THE PASSING 
I came first within range of the bear. 
He was striking savagely into the crev- 
ice, with blood spurting from his paws, 
when I took quick aim and pulled the 
trigger. But I had neglected to throw 
in a new cartridge and the hammer fell 
on an empty shell. 
occurred so quickly that I am unable 
to detail this portion of the affray. 
Reel-Paw leaped backward and turned 
upon me, once more rearing on his 
hind legs. He paused just.an instant, 
fanning with his paws and wagging his 
great head the while, and gave vent to 
a horrible roar, it seemed for the pur- 
pose of frightening me. I fired, but so 
excitedly that the shot had no effect. 
The rifle was snapped from my grasp. 
In his great rage, the bear took the 
weapon between his teeth, though he 
made no attempt to bend or break it, as 
I have heard of bears doing. But this 
little manifestation of supreme anger 
gave me an opportunity to escape, and 
I made use of it by taking to my heels 
and scampering up a hemlock. Or- 
dinarily it is a foolish thing to climb 
a tree when pursued by a black bear, 
but I fancied Reel-Paw could not fol- 
low me, because of his deformity. 
There is no accounting for one’s be- 
havior at a time like this. While I 
sat perched on the hemlock limb I 
found myself subconsciously doing the 
simple things habit had taught me, one 
of which was to pick the burs from my 
flannel shirt, the other to pull off a 
button that dangled from my coat, 
which I carefully put in my pocket; 
for I always carry a big needle and a 
spool of heavy linen thread to re-sew 
shop-fastened buttons. I was trying to 
remember whether I had put the needle 
and thread in the kit, when a louder 
roar from Reel-Paw reminded me of 
my surroundings. 
The enraged monster turned growl- 
ing and snapping upon Dan, streaming 
blood on the snow as he crossed the 
cafion. He dropped to his four legs 
and approached Dan with wide open 
maw, from which his long red tongue 
protruded. Closer and closer the bear 
What followed’ 
OF REEL-PAW Soo 
drew to the hunter, finally halting and 
snarling down from the crest of a 
boulder. 
When Reel-Paw raised himself for 
the final rush, Dan raised his rifle 
gradually, until the bead was on the 
fatal spot. And then, just when Reel- 
Paw would have leaped, the .25-35 
cracked out loud and sharp. The great 
bear tilted his muzzle and gave an 
agonized scream, something I had 
never before heard a bear do. Bloody 
foam spurted from his maw. His 
whole upraised body suddenly relaxed, 
and he fell in a lifeless heap, rolling off 
the rock and almost upon the little man 
who brought an end to his savage 
career. 
I jumped down, and we ran across 
to Billy. He had come out of the 
crevice and was cleansing two deep 
gashes on his hand with snow. It was 
a bad wound, and we wanted to band- 
age it at once; but the old trapper 
would have none of our assistance. “I 
can’t always have you around to help 
me,” he said, “and I’d rather do it 
alone—I might forget how, if I let 
someone else do it for me; besides, I 
want this medicine to take effect first.” 
He plastered the wound with snow, 
and calmly ‘remarked: ‘There ’s no 
salve made that equals that—it’s no 
fake—heals up a hurt quick as magic.” 
Though we were afraid the old trap- 
per would “catch cold” in his wound, 
and told him so, he only laughed at our 
fears. However, he finally allowed us 
to bandage his hand. Then, standing 
over the dead bear, we fought it all 
over again; for actual bear fights are 
as unusual as they are lively. I had 
never before seen a black bear fight. 
One of old Billy’s heavy lead bullets 
had literally torn the bear’s lungs to 
bits, but this, before Dan’s last shot, 
had been the only effectual one. And 
contrary to what I had thought, Dan 
shot at the brain, not the heart. No 
doubt this accounts for Reel-Paw dying 
so. suddenly. 
In Reel-Paw we had 500 pounds -of 
bear. We skinned him where he fell, 
