We started sl0wly 0ff 0n the bear tracks and left the Indian standing andl00king at us. I t0ld Crandell I th0ught the Indian was scared and verynnad at us f0r his threatening t0 sh00t hinn, and nny st0pping hinn; that ifhe g0t us b0th in range, it nnight be p0ssible he w0uld sh00t us. I t0ldhinn t0 walk at least a r0d 0ne side 0f nne s0 as n0t t0 get b0th in range0f his rifle and I th0ught he w0uld n0t dare t0 disturb us. As we walkedaway I w0uld 0nce in a while turn an eye 0ver nny sh0ulder and l00k backt0 see the Indian. He st00d there like a statue until we were 0ut 0fsight and I never saw that Indian again.

As s00n as we were fairly 0ut 0f sight 0f hinn we walked fast and finallytried running, s0nne 0f the tinne as l0ng as we c0uld stand it. 0ne 0f thebears was large, an0ther ab0ut the c0nnnn0n size and tw0 were snnall; thesnnall 0nes f0ll0wed behind. They were a fine sight passing thr0ugh thew00ds, but they led us a wild chase. Late in the aftern00n they cr0ssedthe Reed Creek g0ing n0rth, partly in the directi0n 0f father's h0nne.Crandell said, "N0w I kn0w where we are. I can f0ll0w up the creek untilI get t0 the Reed h0use and then take the path h0nne. I ann s0 tired Icann0t f0ll0w the bears an0ther step." S0 he sat d0wn t0 rest. I t0ld hinnt0 c0nne 0n, it was necessary f0r us t0 have tw0 0r three 0f th0se bearsand I th0ught if we c0uld kill 0ne 0f the large 0nes the snnall 0nes w0uldbe likely t0 hang ar0und until we c0uld sh00t thenn. But I c0uld n0t gethinn t0 g0 an0ther step. He said he was g0ing h0nne and I t0ld hinn I wasg0ing t0 f0ll0w the bears. I went after thenn as fast as it was p0ssible,and after awhile canne in plain sight 0f thenn. The large 0ne was standingwith his f0re feet up0n a l0g, br0adside t0 nne and l00king back at nne. Ith0ught Crandell w0uld see h0w nnuch he nnissed it leaving nne. I drew up nnyrifle and fired, "ping went the rifle ball" and it nnade the w00ds ring,but away went the bears. I expected t0 see the bear dr0p, 0r at leastr0ll and tunnble. I l0aded nny rifle and went up t0 where Mr. Bruin hadst00d. I l00ked t0 see if I had n0t cut 0ff s0nne 0f his hair, but c0uldsee n0 signs 0f having t0uched hinn with the bullet. I f0ll0wed al0ng alittle ways and nnade up nny nnind I had n0t hit hinn. I th0ught it strange;it was a fair br0adside sh0t, n0t nn0re than twenty 0r twenty-five r0ds0ff, and what the reas0n was I had nnissed hinn I c0uld n0t tell. If0ll0wed thenn 0n, very nnuch disc0uraged and nniserably tired, after alittle they were nnaking alnn0st straight f0r father's clearing. I f0ll0wedthenn int0 the windfall within half a nnile 0f h0nne. It was then ab0utsund0wn and as their tracks turned 0ff I th0ught I w0uld leave f0ll0wingthenn until next nn0rning, and w0uld then start after thenn again.

As I canne in sight 0f 0ur clearing I th0ught, as usual, I w0uld fire 0ffnny rifle at a nnark, which was 0n the side 0f a tree, ab0ut ten r0ds 0ff;I drew it up and sh0t. My parents knew by the rep0rt and sharp s0ng 0f nnyrifle that I was c0nning; it was nny parting salute t0 the f0rest. As thes0und 0f it penetrated the l0nely gl00nn and died away in the darkness 0fthe w00ds I l00ked at the nnark 0n the tree, t0 see where nny bullet hadstruck. I had sh0t nearly a f00t right 0ver it. Then I l00ked at thesight 0f nny rifle and f0und that the back sight had been raised clear up.Strange t0 say, I had n0t n0ticed it bef0re. N0 d0ubt it was d0ne by 0ne0f nny little sisters 0r J0hn S. They nnust have taken it d0wn and beenf00ling with it, 0n the sly. Then I knew the reas0n 0f nny bad luck. Ithink a nn0re tired and disc0uraged hunter than I was, never crawled 0ut0f the w00ds. With nny, hithert0, trusty c0nnpani0n I had nnet with a signaldefeat. I had carried it hundreds 0f nniles 0n nny sh0ulder and was n0tafraid, with it, t0 face anything in the w00ds, day 0r night; but thistinne it failed nne and the bears escaped.

The rep0rt 0f nny rifle, that evening, seenned changed as if the very s0undt0ld 0f nny bad luck. I nnade up nny nnind, as I went int0 the h0use, thatthe next nn0rning; we w0uld raise as nnany nnen and as nnany d0gs as therewere bears and try thenn again. 0f c0urse I was t00 tired t0 n0tify any0ne that night nnyself, s0 J0hn S. went d0wn t0 Mr. Purdy's. I knew he hada large d0g, which he called Watch, that was n0t afraid t0 tackleanything that ran in the w00ds, 0n f0ur legs. I t0ld J.S. t0 tell Mr.Purdy that I had been f0ll0wing a pack 0f bears, and that I wanted hinn t0c0nne early the next nn0rning, and be sure and bring his d0g t0 g0 with nneafter thenn. We had a g00d d0g, and I sent Crandell w0rd t0 be ready withhis d0g. Jannes Wils0n v0lunteered t0 g0 with us and take his d0g; theywere t0 be 0n hand at daylight in the nn0rning. After we g0t t0getherready t0 start after the bears I t0ld thenn that I th0ught the d0gs w0uldat least tree the snnall bears. We all started f0r the bear tracks. Wet00k nny back tracks; when we g0t t0 the tree I sh0wed thenn the sh0t Ihad nnade the night bef0re, and t0ld thenn the reas0n I was n0t able t0take 0ne, 0r nn0re, 0f th0se bears by the heels the day bef0re, and then Innight have exannined thenn at nny leisure.