98 STORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



light appeared that they ceased; but even then we could 

 hear the guttural tones of the gamesters as they droned 

 out their "hu ha" in the game of "guess which hand 

 holds the pebble." This childish game is played by op- 

 posite sides, there being from five to twenty on each side, 

 and they continue it until they become weary or some of 

 the members lose everything, even to the honor of their 

 family. After these gambling contests some of the men 

 are homeless, and perhaps wifeless, and cannot even claim 

 their life if their opponents wish to take it from them. 



When I arose the next day many of the visitors to the 

 potlatch were leaving for home, but they departed without 

 even saying good-bye to their hosts, so far as I could see. 

 I do not know that they have even a word to express this 

 sentiment; but they evidently, whether they have or not, 

 care little for mere phrases, and depart without consider- 

 ing that a word or two would mar or make their welcome, 

 as it does in civilized communities. When the majority 

 Of the guests had left we struck our tent, and, bidding the 

 chief good-bye, secured a canoe to take us to salt-water in 

 Puget Sound, whence we could find a sailing-vessel or a 

 steamer to take us to our destination in Washington Ter- 

 ritory. The run down the river was made in a short time, 

 as the current bowled us along at the rate of eight or nine 

 knots an hour, and our three paddles increased this speed 

 considerably. On reaching Puget Sound, my companion 

 wended his way northward to British Columbia, while I 

 proceeded to Muckilteo, a fishing hamlet on the Sound, 

 thence moved into the country, where I remained until my 

 arm was in as good condition as ever. While stopping 

 there I had an adventure with a bear that promised to be 

 more dangerous than my last encounter. While trout-fish- 

 ing one day, a bear, which was pursued by dogs, swam the 

 river a short distance below me ; and thinking I could get 

 a shot at it with my revolver, I concealed myself in some 

 tall bushes in order to be ready to pounce upon it the mo- 

 ment it struck land. Not hearing any noise, I began to 

 poke my head above the bushes gradually, to take a glance 



