64 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



hour in the morning, so that a camping- place could bo 

 reached in the afternoon. Ho agreed on condition that a 

 generous supply of a certain fluid was taken along, and, his 

 proposition being accepted, everything was made ready for 

 a prompt start. The night before starting he attended a 

 ball, and before morning was so much under the influence 

 of his favorite beverage that he tumbled in the mire sev- 

 eral times on his way home, much to the detriment of his 

 evening-dress and opera-hat. He had scarcely entered his 

 room before a carriage called to take him to the rendez- 

 vous, and, despite the earnest protestation of his friends, he 

 insisted upon going in the costume he wore, or not at all. 

 As his wit and humor were much needed to enliven camp 

 in the evening, he was taken as he stood ; and the party 

 having united, they started for the mountains about forty 

 miles distant, and there pitched the camp, and lighted a fire 

 at once to prepare supper. While that was being cooked, 

 a Spaniard approached the group and stated that there was 

 a grizzly a few rods off in the bushes. He was asked why 

 he did not kill it, and he nonchalantly replied that he had 

 lost no bears. The judge, who was dozing near the ashes, 

 jumped up when he heard grizzly mentioned, and said that 

 he would bring it into camp. 



His seedy appearance and the quaintness of his hunting 

 costume caused his companions to greet his heroic boast 

 with roars of laughter, and to chaff him unmercifully; but 

 his mettle was up, and with a half-drunken leer he said he 

 would prove it ; and, seizing an empty shot-gun, he strode 

 into the shrubbery. He was not gone more than twenty 

 minutes before a tremendous commotion was heard in the 

 bushes, and they were seen to sway in every direction. The 

 party were alarmed at once, and all seized their weapons 

 and prepared for some unknown danger. They had hard- 

 ly taken their positions before the bushes parted, and out 

 came the judge minus a hat, and running with such speed 

 as to cause his hair and coat-tails to flow backward in rig- 

 id lines. As he approached his bewildered companions, he 

 shouted at the top of his voice, "Clear the track; here wo 



