THE BEAR TURNS TO BAY 118

tain, but after a bit it inclined to the left, and then gradually
veered round, so that when the mountain was reached it
would be at a point where the flat ended and it came to
the river. Praying that the bear might circle, I struck
out for the middle of the flat, so that, if such a thing
happened, I should be in a bettér position to make a short
cut. The grouse, which I still held by the neck, was com-
pletely forgotten, but I happened to notice that the black
pup who had not joined in the chase was still with me.

What I had hoped for did occur. The bear made a
short run up the mountain, then, when he came to where
the flat ended, turned and came down right through the
centre of the flat at a tremendous pace. Before I was
within a hundred yards of the line the hounds had gone
sailing by and I was left toiling in the rear. However, it
was not to be a long stern chase. The bear was being
so hard pressed that he made a couple of sharp turns to
try and throw the hounds off. In this he failed, so then
he struck out for half a mile down stream, but once more
turned back my way. Before he was half-way to me the
hounds had run up to him and stopped him, and not long
afterwards I arrived on the scene.

Owing to a huge cottonwood tree that was lying on the
ground being in the way, the fight could not be seen until
I had climbed up on the tree. There was the bear not
thirty feet off! He had backed up against another
fallen tree and was twisting, turning, and making short
rushes at the hounds as they baited him. At that moment
the black dog, whose existence I had completely forgotten,
appeared on another log and paused to find out what all
the row was about. First he happened to catch my eye
and immediately gave one of his grins, but just at that
second the bear chanced to make a charge in his direction,
which was more than he bargained for. It is probable
he never stopped until he was back at his own home.

Within a few seconds the bear was dead. He made a
charge at one of the hounds which took him to within a
few feet of where I was standing, and I gave him.a charge
of number six shot behind the shoulder, which bowled