I forced my way through the alders and got in two close shots, which rolled him over.  It appeared that my first shot had broken his shoulder, as well as cut the lower portion of the heart; but this bear had gone some fifty yards, and was still on his feet, when I came up and finished him off.  He was a fair sized bull, six feet two inches in a straight line along the vertebrae, and stood exactly three feet at the shoulders.  He had evidently been fighting, for one ear was badly torn, and his skin was much scarred with old and recent wounds.  After removing the pelt the carcass was thrown into the bay, so that there might be no stench, which my natives declared would be enough to spoil any future shooting in this locality.  This same afternoon we moved our camp to a new marsh, but the wind was changeable, and we saw nothing.

The next morning we sighted a bear, which fed into the woods before we had time to come up with him.  Shortly after five o’clock the brute made a second appearance, but as the wind had changed and now blew in the wrong direction, a stalk could not be made without our scent being carried into the woods, where many bears were apt to be.  We made it a great point never to make a stalk unless the wind was right, for we were extremely anxious not to spoil the place by diffusing our scent, and driving away whatever bears might be lurking near.  Therefore, many times we had a chance to watch bears at only a few hundred yards’ distance.

It was most interesting to see how careful these big animals were, and how, from time to time, they would feel the wind with their noses, and again stop feeding and listen.  No two bears seemed to be built on quite the same lines.  Some were high at the shoulders and then sloped down toward the rump and nose; and again, others were saddle-backed; still others stood with their front feet directly under them, making a regular curve at the shoulders; while others had the front legs wide apart, and seemed to form a triangle, the apex of which was at the shoulders.

Their range of color seemed to be from very dark, silver-tipped, to a very light dirty yellow, but with dark legs and belly.

This evening, just as we were having our tea, another bear made his appearance.  The first, which we had been watching, evidently heard him coming through the woods, and as the second came out into the open the former vanished.  The new one was a dirty yellowish white, with very dark belly and legs, which gave him a most comical appearance.

The wind still continued unfavorable, and my friend and I passed an extremely interesting evening with the glasses, for this watching game, especially bear, gives me almost as much pleasure as making the actual stalk.

About ten o’clock the wind changed, and Blake went after the bear, but unfortunately missed at about one hundred yards.

The following day opened dull, and we spent the morning keeping a sharp watch on the marsh.  About ten o’clock a large bear was seen to come out from the trees.  The wind was wrong, and as the bear was in an unapproachable position I had to sit with folded arms and watch him.  I used the glasses with much interest until shortly after four o’clock, when he slowly fed into the brush.