Original - North Central Michigan College Library

anfr%frtenturcgdown. This day's work carried us about halfway through the trunk; and the next morningwe renewed the attack, continuing it till abouttwo o'clock in the afternoon, when the treefell to the ground. For a few minutes everythingremained quiet, and I feared that all ourexpectations were disappointed; but as Iadvanced to the opening there came out, tothe great satisfaction of all our party, a bearof extraordinary size, which, before she hadproceeded many yards, I shot.The bear being dead, all my assistants approached,and all, but more particularly myold mother (as I was wont to call her), took herhead in their hands, stroking and kissing itseveral times; begging a thousand pardons fortaking away her life: calling her their relationand grandmother; and requesting her not tolay the fault upon them, since it was truly anEnglishman that had put her to death.This ceremony was not of long duration;and if it was I that killed their grandmotherthey were not themselves behindhand in whatremained to be performed. The skin beingtaken off, we found the fat in several placessix inches deep. This being divided into twoparts, loaded two persons; and the flesh partswere as much as four persons could carry.In all, the carcass must have exceeded fivehundred-weight.As soon as we reached the lodge the bear'shead was adorned with all the trinkets in the139