ut the rifle was unsteady. I
rested an elbow on my knee, yet still I had difficulty in keeping the
sight on him. I could get it on him, but could not keep it there. Again
he came out into the open, at the head of a yellow slide, that reached
to a thicket below. I must not hurry, yet I had to hurry. After all he
had not so far to come and most of the distance was under cover. Through
my mind flashed Haught's story of a cinnamon that kept coming with ten
bullets in him.

"Doc, he's paddin' along!" warned Copple. "Smoke some of them shells!"

Straining every nerve I aimed as before, only a little in advance, held
tight and pulled at the same instant. The bear doubled up in a ball and
began to roll down the slide. He scattered the leaves. Then into the
thicket he crashed, knocking the oaks, and cracking the brush.

"Some shot!" yelled Copple. "He's your bear!"

But my bear continued to crash through the brush. I shot again and yet
again, missing both times. Apparently he was coming, faster now--and
then he showed dark almost at the foot of our slope. Trees were thick
there. I could not see there, and I could not look for bear and reload
at the same moment. My fingers were not very nimble.

"Don't shoot," shouted Copple. "He's your bear. I never make any
mistakes when I see game hit."

"But I see him coming!"

"Where?... By Golly! that's another bear. He's black. Yours is red....
Look sharp. Next time he shows smoke him!"

I saw a flash of black across an open space--I heard a scattering of
gravel. But I had no chance to shoot. Then both of us heard a bear
running in thick leaves.

"He's gone down the canyon," said Copple. "Now look for your bear."

"Listen Ben. The hounds are coming fast. There's Rock.--There's Sue."

"I see them. Old Dan--what do you think of that old dog?... There!--your
red bear's still comin' ... He's bad hurt."

Though Copple tried hard to show me where, and I strained my eyes, I
could not see the bear. I could not locate the threshing of brush. I
knew it seemed close enough for me to be glad I was not down in that
thicket. How the hounds made the welkin ring! Rock was in the lead. Sue
was next. And Old Dan must have found the speed of his best days.
Strange he did not bay all down that slope! When Rock and Sue headed the
bear then I saw him. He sat up on his haunches ready to fight, but they
did not attack him. Instead they began to yelp wildly. I dared not shoot
again for fear of hittin