I knew how and being very careful to make all
appear just as before the trap was set, flattering myself that Bruin
would surely put his foot in it this time.

I went early the next morning, being sure that I would find Bruin,
but no bear had been there. I went again early the next morning with
high expectations of finding Bruin waiting for me, but again nothing
had been disturbed. Thinking that Bruin had left that locality
altogether, or that he would not be back again for several days, I
thought I would go and have a team come and take out the furs and
game I had, and give Bruin time to get back after more bait. As I had
caught no bear at the other traps, I felt quite certain that Bruin
was still somewhere in the neighborhood and would be around again
after more bait.

When I reached home an old gentleman by the name of Nelson who was a
noted hunter and trapper and who lived near us, came to see me. Let
me explain who this Mr. Nelson was, as I shall have more to say of
him.

Mr. Nelson was one of the early settlers in this county, moving here
at an early date from Washington County, New York State. He was known
here as Uncle Horatio and by many as Squire Nelson, as he was a
Justice of the Peace here for thirty years.

Mr. Nelson would always come to our house as soon as he found that I
was at home, to see what luck I had in the way of trapping and
hunting. On this occasion, Mr. Nelson, or Uncle Horatio, as we always
called him, was soon over to learn what luck I had and when I told
him what sort of a time I had trying to outwit the bear, he said I
had better build a deadfall and let the bear kill himself. Uncle said
that Bruin would give me much trouble and was likely to leave and I
would not get him at all. This idea I did not like, for I had, before
this, been put to my wit's end to outwit a cunning old fox, but
finally succeeded in catching him and I thought I could outwit such a
dumb thing as a bear. I thought if I could not get the bear in a
steel trap, there would be but little use trying to get him in such a
clumsy thing as a deadfall--however, Uncle had trapped bear long
before I was born and knew what he was talking about.

As soon as I got back to camp I went to the bear trap to relieve
Bruin of his troubles, but it was not the bear that was in trouble,
but myself, for Bruin had been there and torn out a stone at one side
of the pen and had taken the bait. Well, the case was getting
desperate, so I got