A Charging Grizzly 89 



since we were cross-cutting the country without regard to 

 trails. I soon came to a small stream, blocked in several 

 places by beaver dams, and in part of the bottom, which 

 was flooded nearly a foot deep, I noticed where some 

 animal had a wallow. At first I paid no attention to this, 

 thinking it was a moose wallow, but after crossing the 

 creek I saw the tracks of a large grizzly and of several 

 smaller ones, and in a clump of willows farther on I found 

 several beds where the bears had been lying. However, 

 I saw nothing of the bears and, having got the lay of the 

 land, I returned to camp. 



Upon my arrival I told Jack that there were some griz- 

 zlies out in the willows, and suggested (this having become 

 a standing joke) that his dog might be able to find them. 

 I also told him that there were some beaver in the small 

 creek, since he had been abusing the country for its lack of 

 beaver, and had been anxious for some beaver-tail soup, 

 having heard that it was a great luxury. Taking his gun 

 and dog, Jack now went over to the willows, thrashed 

 around for a short time, and returned without seeing any- 

 thing. He said that the tracks were old, as Nebo would 

 pay no attention to them, and tying up the dog, he went 

 back to the creek to watch for beaver. After a while we 

 heard a shot, and soon he returned to camp, telling Martin 

 that he had wounded a beaver, but that it had escaped to 

 its house in the stream, and he was unable to get it. Mar- 

 tin proposed that they go and tear the house to pieces and 

 thus obtain the animal, and Jack again loosed the dog, 

 shouldered his gun, and, Martin taking a long-handled 

 shovel which we had brought along to prospect with, 

 they set out. 



