It was the main trail that led from one half of his range to the other.
Instinctively he always took this trail when he was hurt or when he was sick, and also when he was ready to den up for the winter.

There was one chief reason for this: he was born in the almost impenetrable fastnesses at the head of the creek, and his cubhood had been spent amid its brambles of wild currants and soap berries and its rich red ground carpets of kinnikinic.

It was home.

In it he was alone.

It was the one part of his domain that he held inviolate from all other bears.