BRITISH COLUMBIA 49 



the general opinion was always the same, " It's in 

 the blood ! " So I suppose the old man will drag 

 out his dreary days amid those silent hills until 

 his call comes. Why should we judge him, all 

 unknowing of the temptations which beset him ? 



Henry was an entirely different kind of man, and 

 one with whom it was a pleasure to be associated. 

 Always cheerful and hard-working, he had splendid 

 sight and was a first-rate hunter. Eventually the 

 Incompetent One got laid up with the hard work, 

 and returned to Lillooet, whilst Burton got hold of 

 an Indian named Bell to replace him. This man 

 was an excellent hunter too, but he spoke very 

 little English. 



In the Bridge River country where we made our 

 trip, the sportsman may count on killing three varie- 

 ties of game, namely, sheep, goats, and deer. By 

 far the finest sport is afforded by the first-named 

 of these three animals, and it is proportionately sad 

 to contemplate the fact that both in numbers and 

 size he is dwindling. In districts where formerly 

 heads of forty-five inches and longer were obtained, a 

 man is now considered lucky if he gets one of thirty- 

 two inches. The reasons are not far to seek. Natural 

 causes have something to do with it ; sheep-scab kills 

 some, so do mountain lions ; so do eagles ; so do hard 

 winters ; and last, but not least, so do hunters. 

 I am glad to find that my observations are con- 

 firmed by so well-known a writer as Mr. W. T. 

 Hornaday, the Director of the New York Zoological 



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