84 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



selves to hunger and thirst. They sure die from it 

 sometimes." 



" Why do they call it Hermit's Peak?" 



" An old Mexican hermit used to live there, and 

 when the people went there they took him things to 

 eat. They say he had a gold-mine up there and he 

 sure had lots of gold. He hid it all away when he 

 left, and it has never been found. There's sure gold 

 there, but I've not found it yet. I've got colours, 

 though." 



So Beaty beguiled the way with his stories, and as 

 they were going down into a grassy valley he sud- 

 denly stopped the train and called out : 



" See that willow thicket there? Well, I sure saw 

 a bear there. You see that old log there? Well, 

 when I got there I heard a mighty noise in 

 those willows and four bears came out all at once. 

 I thought they had it in for the old man, but I 

 just threw myself down by the side of that big 

 log, jerked out both knives, and if the bears had 

 come I sure would have done some of them. When 

 they saw that I was sure ready for them they got 

 out of there in a hurry. As I lay there four bears 

 went hustling up the other side of the mountain. 

 This is sure a great country for bears." 



Late in the afternoon, when within a few rods of 

 the cabin of the miner, the train was again called to 

 a halt, and Beaty, pointing to a large tree, said : 



"See that tree there? I met an old grizzly 

 there. I'd been fishing and was coming to the 

 ranch. I had thirty fish on a stringer, not one less 

 than twelve inches long, and was within thirty feet 



