Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-09-03

large Doggy tract, studded with little
pools; and here again we found plenty
of caribou tracks. \ caribou has an
enormous foot, bigger than cows.
and admirably adapted for travelling
over snow or bogs; hence they can
pass through places where the long
slender hoofs of moose or deer, or the
round hoofs of elk. would let their
owners sink at once; and they are very
difficult to kill by following on snow
shoes-a method much In vogue among
the brutal game butchers for slaughter
tains. The lake itself, when we reach
ed it, stretched straight away like
great ford, n hundred miles long and
about three in breadth. The frowning
and rugged Selkirks 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 q
week of excessive toll, in n country
where we saw no gaEe-fOr in our ig-
norance we had wasted time, not 60
ing straight back to the high ranges,
from which the game had not yet de-
ScendcG. After three or four DAYS of
rest and Of feasting on trout-a well
come relief to the rnonotony of frying
pan bread and coarsey salt pork-we
were ready for another trial; and early
one morning we made the start. Hav-
ing to pack everything for fortnight's
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 1 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 choked for
est, and along the bowlder strewn and
precipitous mountain sides, was incon-
IOuSu dllOl ullucull.
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 rs we marched, for our feet
sunk noiselessly into the deep moss.
Suddenly the hunter, who was lead
in in |, ,ig t,,nf .l-a int
ing upward; and some fifty feet be-
yond | saw the head and shoulders of
Il bear as he rose to make sweep at
some berries. He was in Il hollow
where 4 tall, rank, prickly plant, with
broad leaves, grew luXuriantly; 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-
Iy, taking him in the neck Down he
went, but whether hurt or not we
could not see, for the second he was
on all fours he was no longer visible.
Rather to my surprise he uttered no
sound-for bear when hit or when
charging often make great noise-so
l 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
stant we reached the hollow and look
ed down into it 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, Il 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 blundered |
out of the hollow in our direction: but |
when he saw the hunter 50 close he |
turned for him, his hair bristling and |
his teeth showing. The man had no |
cartridge in his weapon. and with his
pack Oh could not nave used 1t any |
how; and for Il moment it looked as if |
he stood Il fair chance of being hurt.
AS the beast sprang out of the hollow
he poised for second OH the edge of
the bank to recover his balance. giving
me beautiful shot. as he stood side
ways 10 me; the bullet struck between
the eye and tar, and he fell as If hit
with a. pole axe.
Our prize was 4 large black bear,
with two curious brown streaks down
his back, one on each side the spine.
We skinned him and camped b. thc
carcass, as it was growing late. 10
take the chill off the evening air we
built Il huge fire, the logs roaring and
cracking. TO one side of it we made
Onr hCdS - of hn lSnm and hnmlncl,