t in it" this time, as the trap was gone. On
taking the trail I did not follow it far, before I found bruin fast
in an old tree-top. I soon dispatched him and taking off his coat,
hung up his carcass. Now the bait was gone at this trap also. Let me
tell you that this is something that rarely happens, for when the
bear puts his foot in a Newhouse trap, he seldom tarries to monkey
with bait. I suspected that another bear had been there after this
one had got in the trap. As I had no bait I took the lungs and heart
of the one I had caught and baited the traps the best I could, then I
took the skin and started for home. Well, when I got near the horse
you can bet there was some tall prancing and loud snorting. After a
long time I managed to get on his back and home with the skin.

The next morning I began to have some doubt whether bears were
cannibals or not. I thought I would take some fresh bait and go back
and bait the traps up good.

When I got near the trap in which I had caught the bear the day
before, I heard a great deal of wrestling going on and it did not
take long to see that I had an old he-bear hung up this time. And now
was the time that I began to realize what a boy's trick I had cut up,
for I had not taken any gun with me; only a small revolver and three
cartridges. I found that the bear was dead fast and a big one too. He
seemed to be more inclined to quarrel than bears usually are. I took
my trapping hatchet in one hand and revolver in the other, and worked
my way up close as I dared and awaited the best chance I could get to
shoot for he was rolling and tumbling like a ball. I fired at his
head but missed it. I fired the two remaining cartridges just back of
the fore-shoulders. He paid about as much attention to it as I
imagine he would if it had been a flea that bit him. After waiting
some time to see what effect the shots would have and noticing no
change in Bruin's countenance, I concluded I would see what I could
do with a club. I soon found that I and the club were not "in it," so
I gave it up as a bad job and went home after the team and a gun. On
my way home I had to pass the house of an old trapper by the name of
Stevens. Of course, he was out to see what luck I had, and when I
told him my story, he gave a great laugh and said he would go and let
the bear out of the trap. When we got back to the trap the next day
we found the fight all gone out of Bruin, for the two shots had
penetrated the lun