which I intended to pass the remainder of the day, gradually working my
way home. This mountain was covered with chestnut-trees; and here it
was that I caught a glimpse of the bear from the other ridge, and found
he had disappeared but a short time previous to my arrival on this
mountain. I followed his track for three miles, for chestnuts lay in
abundance on the ground, and bears, like hogs, root up the leaves in
search of food beneath; and it no doubt had lingered about here eating
its meal until my near approach gave warning of its danger. This I
could discover, as, the leaves having been wet by the melted frost on
the top, a path could be traced where the bear, in running, had turned
the dried part of the leaves uppermost. I quickened my pace along the
mountainside and around the turn of the mountain, with the hopes of
surprising the bear; and, after a rapid chase for the distance above
mentioned, all proved fruitless, and I relinquished further pursuit.
Warm with this exercise, and somewhat fatigued, I descended the
mountain-side, and took my seat beside a stream of water which gently
washed the base of the mountain, and emptied itself into the head of
the waters of the Susquehannah.

"I had remained, sitting on a fallen tree, whose branches extended
considerably into the water, for, perhaps, an hour and a half, when, of
a sudden, I heard a rustling among the leaves on the mountain
immediately above my head, which, at first, was so distant that I
thought it merely an eddy in the wind, whirling the leaves from the
ground; but it increased so rapidly, and approached so near the spot
where I sat, that instinctively I seized my rifle, ready in a moment to
meet any emergency which might offer.

"That part of the mountain where I was seated was covered with laurel
and other bushes, and, owing to the density of this shrubbery, I could
not discover an object more than ten yards from me; this, as will
afterwards appear, afforded me protection; at any rate, it conduced to
my success. The noise among the leaves now became tremendous, and the
object approached so near, that I distinctly heard an unnatural
grunting noise, as if from some animal in great distress. At length, a
sudden plunge into the water, not more than twenty yards from me,
uncovered to my view a full-grown black bear, intent upon nothing but
its endeavors to press through the water and reach the opposite shore.
The water, on an average, was not more than two