TWENTY YEARS IN THE ROCKIES. 171 



large hole torn through the fallen pea and hop vines arrested 

 my attention. I raised the hammer of my gun and started 

 to crawl in upon my hands and knees. I followed the open- 

 ing about thirty yards, and was within ten yards of the op- 

 posite bank, when his bearship gave a growl that made me 

 think I had business outside ; I did not fly exactly, but bade 

 him a hasty adieu, crawling out much faster than I entered. 

 When I got out to where the air was not so oppressive, I 

 took shelter behind a tree. I attempted to coax the brute out 

 by throwing stones, but failed. Every means was tried in 

 vain. He still refused to leave his vantage-ground. The 

 vines were so dense that I could not see to get a shot at him 

 and, if I ventured in again, he might take me unawares and 

 make a meal of me. In my dilemna I called to Steward that 

 I had run a monstrous rat to earth, and needed assistance. 

 He lost no time in coming arid appeared upon the opposite 

 side, with his old Sharp's across his shoulder and his knife 

 swinging from his belt. 



"It's a bar instead of Injuns?" he called to me in a 

 questioning tone. 



"Yes," I replied, "and you are not far from him; just 

 around that little bank, under those vines, is his castle." 



"How do you know?" he asked. 



"I was fool enough to crawl in until he gave me to 

 understand my company was not agreeable." 



"Wai, I'll soon find him out. He can't run no bluff on 

 me ; if I had an explosive ball, I'd jist walk down thar and 

 blow him inside out." 



"Try the torpedo racket on him," I said. 



"I have a torpedo in old 'reliable' that I'll try on him," 

 said Steward. 



The bear acted as though he both heard and understood 

 our talk, for at that moment he scattered the vines and ut- 



5 



