ught I would
put off going to look after the traps in that locality until the boys
came over and should I have the luck to find a bear in one of the
traps it would come very acceptable to have the help to get the bear
to camp for it was some four or five miles to the farthest trap.

The boys came as they said but the next morning after they got there
it was raining very hard and they did not want to go out and did not
want me to go until it slacked up. Well, the next morning it was
raining hard and the boys were in no better mood to go out than the
day before. It had been several days since I had been to the traps,
in that direction, and there were some chestnuts in that locality
where the bear traps were set. The storm had knocked the chestnuts
out and it was probable that bears would be in that locality. I told
the boys I did not like to let the traps go any longer without
looking after them and they could stay in camp and I would go to the
traps. When I was about ready to start, Hill said that he would go
with me, notwithstanding the rain, though Benson tried to persuade us
not to go, stating that no bear was fool enough to travel in such a
rain and that all we would get would be a good thorough soaking.

I was determined to delay no longer looking at the traps and started
off when Hill said, "Well, I'm with you." So we took the nearest cut
possible to reach the traps. Hill was continually wishing we would
find a bear in one of the traps and that he could shoot it so that he
could joke with Benson.

Our route took us along the top of a ridge for about three miles when
we dropped off to the first trap. When we were still half way up the
side of the ridge I saw that Hill had got his wish for I could see a
bear rolling and tumbling about down in the hollow and knew that it
was fast in the trap. I tried to point it out to Hill but he could
not get his eye on it, so we went farther down the hill when Jim
(that was Hill's given name) could see the bear. He said there was no
need of going closer, that he could shoot it from where we were, but
I said we must go closer as I did not like to make holes in the body
of the skin unnecessarily. We had only taken a few steps farther when
Jim said we were plenty close, that he could, shoot it from where we
were and that if we should go closer the bear might break out of the
trap and escape.

With all my urging I could not get Hill closer so I told him to be
sure that he shot the