PR NPL RR TT TMT GET TS TI
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ARE EES IS SRE IE WT ence Tg

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re,

eng igoe coeds

112 THE BLACK BEAR

him into the ground. The hound was not hurt at all, in
spite of his rashness, though he could hardly have failed
to be badly torn if I had let them finish it out.

The biggest black bear I ever killed with my hounds
began with an amusing incident and ended in a horrible
tragedy. I had been down the Fraser River for about
ten miles to get a young dog from a man who had an idea
that he came of splendid hunting stock and would be
worth a trial. This dog was a thorough mongrel, but
showed that some of his ancestors had hound blood in
them; he was nearly pure black, well built, and by no
means an unlikely looking specimen; his best point was
his splendid white teeth, of which he was evidently in-
ordinately proud, as he had acquired a trick of turning
up his lips and grinning at you on the slightest excuse.

When about six miles from home I came to a flat a mile
or two long and extending back from the river for over
half a mile to the foot of a mountain. This flat consisted
almost entirely of cottonwoods (a species of poplar),
willows, and rosebush, with here and there patches of crab-
apple. It was cut up with small muddy sloughs which,
during freshets, were filled with water, but which at that
time were dry. As there were plenty of ruffed grouse
to be had there and I wanted to take a few home with me
I went ashore to shoot some, and also to give a bit of
exercise to the six or seven hounds that were with me.

Almost as soon as shore was reached a fine big bear
track came to my notice, and though it was not likely
he would be still on the flat, the hounds were sent off to
have a try. A few minutes afterwards a grouse rose and
fell to my shot. Then, just as I had picked up the bird,
the hounds, who up to this time had never uttered a note,
suddenly burst into full ery, evidently having winded the
bear soon after they had left me. Moreover, it was at
once evident, by the way they were running, that there
was a blazing scent and that they were hard on the heels
of their quarry. In such circumstances there was every
probability that they would force a fight in a short time.

At first the line taken was straight back to the moun-