82 Hills AND Lakes. 



over, down into the gulf, and I heard him strike the 

 bottom, as plain as I heard the crack of my own rifle, 

 " My two shots were answered by old Pete Meigs's 

 rifle, and I fired again as a signal, and waited for the 

 old man to come round. Presently I heard his halloa 

 below me, and I went to meet him. He'd hardly be- 

 lieve my story, but we went u.p the gulf, and found 

 my two painters shot dead enough, and their bones 

 broken by their plunge down the rocks, in the bar- 

 gain. One of them was a she one, and from appear- 

 ances was the mother of a family. Old Pete declared 

 he'd have her y/helps. We went round to where I 

 found them eatin' the deer, and the old man, after 

 examinin' the signs, as he termed them, started off to- 

 ward the head of the gulf. We searched the rest of 

 that day, but found nothing. We were satisfied, 

 however, that we war'nt a gTcat waj^s from the old 

 painter's lair, for Ave found, scattered about, the bones 

 of deer, and other animals they had devoured. We 

 camped on the mountains that night, and about day- 

 light, old Pete started from his bed of boughs, and 

 cocking his ear for a moment, cried out, ' that's them.' 

 I listened, and heard a whinin', moanin' sort of a 

 noise,, like a kitten's. that's lost its mother. We started 



