The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-09-24

Es-z<rE~u,zrA with me as companions,
kRHllHtSS John Willis and an i'm
| E4SfSzga3ISs passive looking Indian
named Animal Coming
across through the dense cOnifcrous
| forests of northern Idaho we had
| struck the KOotenGi River. Then we
went down with the current as it
| wound in half circles through a long
| alluvial valley of mixed marsh and
| woodland. hemmCd in by lofty noun
tains. The lake itself. when we reach
| ed 1t, stretched straight away like
| great ford, hundred miles long and
| about three in breadth. The frownilg
| and rugged Solkirks came down sheer
| to the waters edge So straight were
| the rock walls that it was difficult for
us to land with our batteau, save at
| the places where the rapid mountain
torrents entered the lake.
We had come down from a weeks
| fruitleSS hunting in the mountains; a
| week Of excessive toll, in a country
where we saw no game-for in our ig-
norance we had wasted time, not go
ing straight back to the high ranges.
| from which the game had not vet de
| Scended. After three or four days Of
rest. and of feaSting on trout-a wei
| come relief to the mOnotOny of frying
| pan bread and coarsey salt pork-we
We're ready for another trial; and early
| one morning we made the start HAY
| ing to pack everything for a fortnights
use on our backs. through an excess
| lively rough country we of course
Travelled as light as possible, leaving
almost all we had with the tent and
boat.
We walked in single file, as is nee
essary in thick woods The white
hunter led, and | followed, each with
rifle on shoulder and pack on back.
Animal, the Indian, pigeon tOed along
behind, carrying his pack, not as we
did ours, but by help of forehead
band, which he sometimes shifted
across his breast. The travelling
through The tangled, brush chOled for
| est, and along the bowlder styewn and
PERCEPTIONS mountain sides, was incon-
ceivably rough ana difficult.
An hour or two before sunset we
were travelling, as usual, in Indian
file. beside the stream. through an
open wood of great hemlock trees,
There was no breeze. and we made no
sound as We marched, for our feet
sunk noisclessly into the deep moss
sudden. the hunter, who was lead
ing, dropped down in his tracks. point
Ing upward; ana some Gf,y feet be
yond | saw the head and shoulders of
a bear as he rose to make d sweep at
some berries. He was in a hollow
where a tall rank, pricaly plant. with
broad leaves. grew luXuriautly: and he
was gathering its red berries, rising
on his hind legs and sweeping them
down into his mouth with his paw,
and was much too intent on his work
to notice US, for his head was pointed
the other way. The moment he rose
again | fired, meaning to shoot through
the shoulders, but instead, in the hur-
~, taking him in the neck. Down he
went, but whether hurt or not we
could not see, for the second he was
Rather to my surprise he uttered no
sOund-for bear when hit or when
charging often make a great noise-So
| raced toward the edge of the hollow.
the hunter close behind me, while Am
NAL danced about in the rear, very
much excited, as Indians always are
in the presence of big game. The in
ct MT
ed down into il from the low bank on
which We stood we saw by the sway
ing of the tall plants that the bear
was coming our way. The hunter was
standing some ten feet distant, a hem
lock trunk being between us: and the
next moment the bear sprang clean up
the bank the other side of the hem
lock, and almost within arms length
of my companion. | do not think he
had intended to charge; he was prob
ably confused by the bullet through
his neck, and had by chance Numbered
out of the hollow in our direction but
when he saw the hunter so close he
turned for him, his hair bristling anu
his teeth showing. The man had no
cartridge in his weapon, and with his
pack on could not have used it any
how; and for moment it looked as II
he stood a fair chance of being hurt
AS the beast sprang out of the hollow
he poised for a second on the edge of
the bank to recover his balance, giving
me beautiful shot. as he Stood side
ways to me; the bullet struck between
the eye and ear, and he fell as If hit
with pole axe.
Our prize was large black bear,
with two curious brown streakS down
his back. one on each side the spine.
We skinned him and camped by the
carcass. AS 1t was growing late. To
take the chill Off the evening air we
built huge fire, the logs roaring aud
cracking. TO one side of It we made
our beds of balsam and hemlock
boughS; we did not build brush lean
to. because the night seemed likely to
be clear. Then we supped on sugar
less tea, frylng-pan bread. aud quantl-
ties OF bear meat. fried or roasted
and how very good 1t tasted only