THE BLACK BE AIL 105 



I insisted on his singing as far as the hotel, or relating the 

 story when we reached there, and he reluctantly consented. 

 While passing down the main street his dulcet tones at- 

 tracted the attention of several persons, and some who 

 knew him must have presumed that he was laboring under 

 some unusual mental excitement. A few called at the hotel 

 to learn what ailed him, and these he told that he had shot 

 a bear, and was so overjoyed at the matter that he had 

 to indulge in singing to soothe his ecstatic feelings. The 

 story passed current for awhile, but, unfortunately, the 

 leading paper of the town heard the true story, and the 

 exploit of the bear-hunting hero was announced in a col- 

 umn of double -leaded matter. He fell at once from his 

 high estate as a Nimrod, and it took many an " I know 

 you're thirsty, boys," to prevent the " boys " from inquir- 

 ing about how it was exactly that he shot that bear, and 

 how far the terrified animal ran before dying of fright at 

 seeing him. 



