254 ADVENTURES OF DR. ALLEN. 



and his rifle, and went to watch his elk, which we had left in 

 a tree. This was a good idea, for the bears were thick. In 

 the morning we could hear a cannonading which sounded 

 like a skirmish,, and I think Shields and a bull elk must have 

 got buffaloed, as there were fully twelve shots fired. How- 

 ever, he secured a fine bull with a beautiful pair of antlers, 

 though one was shot almost off in the fray. After the game 

 was all dressed we started up the mountain with horses, after 

 the old bull and Sawyer's cow elk. 



We were hard at work skinning the bull, when three 

 bears charged us like Comanche Indians. They came with 

 roars and growling, snapping their teeth like steel traps. 

 They advanced until they were within a few paces, when the 

 uproar in camp caused them to stop and look. Horses were 

 plunging, snorting and bucking. Our rifles cracked and in- 

 creased the din. The old bear and one of the younger ones 

 were killed, one making his ecape. 



We now had a fine bait to watch, and the bears literally 

 tore up the earth around us every night. Sawyer got a shot 

 at a large grizzly, but missed. Wise also missed one, but, as 

 he had killed two before, we were well supplied with bear 

 meat. 



I went up one evening and took up a station to watch the 

 carcasses. The grouse were thick and were flying all around. 

 I had almost concluded to get some of them for supper when 

 I heard the rushing footsteps of a bear. I sat behind a large 

 pine, and,, as my bear came into view, I sent a 45 bullet 

 through his neck, cutting his jugular vein and breaking his 

 neck and back. 



Our happiness was now about complete, for we had all 

 killed a large amount of game, and Mr. Sawyer had tried his 

 new gun on elks, bears and antelopes and found its killing 

 qualities all that he could wish. Mr. Wise had found his old 



