III. 



MY FIRST GRIZZLY. 



One of Fremont's men, Mountain Jo 

 had taken a fancy to me down in Oregon, 

 and finally, to put three volumes in three 

 lines, I turned up as partner in his Soda 

 Springs ranch on the Sacramento, where 

 the famous Shasta-water is now bottled, I 

 believe. Then the Indians broke out, 

 burned us up and we followed and fought 

 them in Castle rocks, and I was shot down. 

 Then my father came on to watch by my 

 side, where I lay, under protection of 

 soldiers, at the mouth of Shot Creek can 

 yon. 



As the manzanita berries began to turn 

 the mountain sides red and the brown pine 

 quills to sift down their perfumed carpets 

 at our feet, I began to feel some strength 

 and wanted to fight, but I had had enough 

 of Indians. I wanted to fight grizzly bears 



36 



