Hunting in Many Lands 



shot at a stray deer, and to have a look at the 

 lay of the land. Bear tracks I saw and a little 

 deer sign also, but it was too early in the day 

 regularly to hunt. All nature nodded in the 

 dozy glare of the August afternoon, and after 

 the hot journey in the saddle I found a siesta 

 under the clean spruce trees refreshing. To- 

 ward sunset I awoke to find a pine martin in a 

 tree across the gulch reconnoitering, and evi- 

 dently turning over in his mind the probabili- 

 ties whether the big creature curled up on the 

 hillside "forninst" him were of the cast of 

 hunter or hunted. I soon brought him out 

 of that, and upon my return to camp the hide 

 was graciously accepted by the chief herder, 

 who converted the head of it into a tobacco 

 pouch with neatness and dispatch. At the 

 evening meal there were good-natured refer- 

 ences to chile con oso — bear's meat cooked with 

 red peppers — regret expressed that the camp's 

 larder could at present afford none, and expres- 

 sions of confidence that this delicacy would 

 soon be set before us — all most politely and 

 comfortably insinuated. They had the gratifi- 

 cation of their desire ; it was on the next day 

 but one. 



That night there was a great jabbering of 

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