TWENTY YEARS IN THE ROCKIES. 19! 



had been in vain. My treasures were gone, and, with a sad 

 heart, I left the remains to the prowling thieves that had 

 despoiled me. 



Going down a ridge, covered with green grass and 

 dotted here and there by trees, I saw a deer standing by a 

 rock about one hundred yards distant. 



"I shall not go to camp empty-handed if I can help it," 

 I remarked to myself, as I hastily dismounted, tied the 

 ponies to a bush, and took deliberate aim. The deer made 

 one bound and fell dead. He was as beautiful a specimen 

 of his kind as I had ever seen, so I packed him on one of the 

 ponies and made a fresh start. 



Nothing else particularly attracted my attention until I 

 had gone several miles beyond, when my ponies gave a 

 snort and rushed madly to one side. 



A large bear had started up from a clump of bushes 

 and ran like mad. Two of the ponies got loose and left me 

 far behind, and the rearing of the one I rode made it impos- 

 sible for me to get a shot. After a long chase, I came up 

 with the pack-ponies and found the deer swinging beneath 

 them. That night I dined on venison, potatoes, onions, 

 warm biscuits, and coffee. Sitting by a blazing fire, I went 

 through the events of the day in imagination. 



While engaged in getting the meat ready for the jour- 

 ney home, darkness came down in what seemed an incred- 

 ibly short space of time. While preparing to rest upon my 

 bed of saddle-blankets, I heard the splash of waters, and, 

 looking up the creek, saw two fiery eyes approaching. I 

 noiselessly took up my gun, fired, and the flash lighted up 

 the darkness several yards in all directions; then came a 

 terrible splash, and the blazing orbs drew nearer. I had 

 taken the precaution of throwing a cartridge into the maga- 

 zine immediately after firing, and it was well that I did, for a 



