200 TRUE BEAR STORIES.

a wounded grizzly. Besides, if shot at and
missed, the bear would probably not re-
turn, and all the cnances of getting him
into the trap would be lost. So the two
sat on a log and watched the grizzly till
the night came on thick and dark, when
they returned to camp.

The trap was finished the next day, but
a somewhat ludicrous accident destroyed
its possibilities of usefulness, and made it
quite certain that bruin would never be
caught in it. Not expecting a visit from
the bear, for at least two days, the corre-
spondent went up to the ridge just before
dark, made a rope fast to the remains of
a steer, and dragged him down to the trap.
Bowers had gone back to Ventura on busi-
ness, and the correspondent was alone on
the mountain; when he went into the trap
to fix a can of honey upon the trigger, he
placed a stick under the door, in such a
way that if the door should fall he could
use the stick as a lever to pry it up, and