the two
remaining balls into the bear's body with the only effect of making
him more determined to get at me. I now cut a good club determined to
put a quietus on Bruin in that manner but after landing several blows
my knees began to feel weak. I gave up the job and returned home
leaving Bruin in the trap feeling as well as he did when I first
found him, so far as I was able to see. But when I returned the next
morning with help and now with a regular gun we found Bruin nearly
dead and helpless from the shots that I had given him the day before
from the revolver.

I have met with other circumstances not quite so fascinating as those
just related. At one time a young companion and I were camping and
trapping several miles from home and several miles from a road. One
day while we were some ways out from camp setting traps my friend
became suddenly very ill. It required no skilled doctor to see that
it was a case that must have help at once. I started with my friend
to get to camp. While my companion was not as old as I, he was larger
and heavier. I worked along with him, half carrying him, while he
would support himself as best he could. I got him within about a mile
of the cabin when he completely gave out and could go no farther and
with all my pleadings I could not get him to try to go any farther,
but he promised that if I went after help that after resting he would
work his way to camp.

Seeing that there was no other way to do, I left him and started for
help. It was now dark. My way was over a road of about twelve miles
and nearly all the way through a thick woods and part of the way
without a road other than a path. When I reached the cabin I stopped
long enough to build a fire so that the cabin would be warm when my
companion got there if he did get there at all, which I doubted.

I took a lunch in my hand and started for help. I would take a trot
whenever the woods were sufficiently open to let in light enough so
that I could see my way. I got to my companion's home about midnight
and we were soon on the way back with a team and wagon while my
companion's father went after a doctor to have him there when we got
back with the patient. We drove with the wagon as far as the road
would allow, then we left the wagon and rode the horses to the camp.

When we reached the cabin, contrary to expectations, we found my
companion there but very sick. We lost no time in getting him onto a
horse and starting for the wago