386 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



They were Cherokees with three young Choctaws, 

 these two tribes being on good terms. Like ourselves, 

 they were out bear-hunting, but had had better luck. 

 A quantity of bear meat was hanging about the camp, 

 and even the dogs could eat no more. Casting our- 

 selves down by the fire, one of the squaws for there 

 were several women in the camp immediately cooked 

 some bear for us, with which we duly regaled our- 

 selves. 



Night came on, and soon all were sunk in deep 

 repose. I was not inclined to sleep, and Bearsgrease, 

 who had tired himself with chasing a gang of turkeys, 

 which escaped at last by flying across a ravine, lay 

 close to me, with his head on my left arm. Soon he 

 began to dream, scrambling with his feet as if running, 

 and barking in a low voice. Watching him brought 

 to my mind a story which was told me by an old bear- 

 killer, to the effect, that if a man lays his pocket-hand- 

 kerchief over the head of a dreaming dog, letting it 

 stay till the dream is out, then lays it under his own 

 head, and falls asleep, he will have the same dream 

 that the dog had. A pocket-handkerchief was a luxury 

 I had dispensed with, but I laid my Scotch cap on my 

 dog's head, under which he went on dreaming, and 

 when he awoke I laid it under my own head, and was 

 soon asleep. It was perhaps owing to the idea under 

 which I fell asleep, although in general I can never 

 dream what I wish, but, be that as it may, I soon found 

 myself running desperately after turkeys, and never 

 stopped, till I had chased them into a tree, when I 

 stood looking up at them without thinking of shooting. 

 Just then my dog gave a loud bark, and I jumped up 



