mong game, turned
and raced off at headlong speed. The fringe of young pines beyond and
below the glade cracked and swayed as if a whirlwind were passing, and
in another moment they reached the top of a very steep incline, thickly
strewn with boulders and dead timber. Down this they plunged with
reckless speed; their surefootedness was a marvel in such seemingly
unwieldy beasts. A column of dust obscured their passage, and under
its cover they disappeared in the forest; but the trail of the bull was
marked by splashes of frothy blood, and we followed it at a trot. Fifty
yards beyond the border of the forest we found the stark black body
stretched motionless. He was a splendid old bull, still in his full
vigor, with large, sharp horns, and heavy mane and glossy coat; and I
felt the most exulting pride as I handled and examined him; for I had
procured a trophy such as can fall henceforth to few hunters indeed.

It was too late to dress the beast that evening; so, after taking out
the tongue and cutting off enough meat for supper and breakfast, we
scrambled down to near the torrent, and after some search found a good
spot for camping. Hot and dusty from the day's hard tramp, I undressed
and took a plunge in the stream, the icy water making me gasp. Then,
having built a slight lean-to of brush, and dragged together enough dead
timber to burn all night, we cut long alder twigs, sat down before some
embers raked apart, and grilled and ate our buffalo meat with the utmost
relish. Night had fallen; a cold wind blew up the valley; the torrent
roared as it leaped past us, and drowned our words as we strove to talk
over our adventures and success; while the flame of the fire flickered
and danced, lighting up with continual vivid flashes the gloom of the
forest round about.

CHAPTER II.--THE BLACK BEAR.

Next to the whitetail deer the black bear is the commonest and most
widely distributed of American big game. It is still found quite
plentifully in northern New England, in the Adirondacks, Catskills, and
along the entire length of the Alleghanies, as well as in the swamps
and canebrakes of the southern States. It is also common in the great
forests of northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and throughout
the Rocky Mountains and the timbered ranges of the Pacific coast. In the
East it has always ranked second only to the deer among the beasts of
chase. The bear and the buck were the staple objects of pursuit of all
the