VIII. 

 BILL CROSS AND HIS PET BEAR. 



When my father settled down at the foot 

 of the Oregon Sierras with his little family, 

 long, long years ago, it was about forty 

 miles from our place to the nearest civil- 

 ized settlement. 



People were very scarce in those days, 

 and bears, as said before, were very plenty. 

 We also had wolves, wild-cats, wild cattle, 

 wild hogs, and a good many long-tailed and 

 big-headed yellow Californian lions. 



The wild cattle, brought there from 

 Spanish Mexico, next to the bear, were 

 most to be feared. They had long, sharp 

 horns and keen, sharp hoofs. 'Nature had 

 gradually helped them out in these weap- 

 ons of defense. They had grown to be slim 

 and trim in body, and were as supple and 

 swift as deer. They were the deadly ene- 



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