2o6 HUNTING TRIPS 



on, after striking only a single blow; yet 

 that one blow, given with all the power of 

 its thick, immensely muscular forearm, 

 armed with nails as strong as so many hooked 

 steel spikes, tore out the man's collar-bone 

 and snapped through three or four ribs. He 

 never recovered from the shock, and died 

 that night. 



The other instance occurred to a neighbor 

 of mine who has a small ranch on the Lit- 

 tle Missouri two or three years ago. He 

 was out on a mining trip, and was pros- 

 pecting with two other men near the head- 

 water of the Little Missouri, in the Black 

 Hills country. They were walking down 

 along the river, and came to a point of land, 

 thrust out into it, which was densely cov- 

 ered with brush and fallen timber. Two of 

 the party walked round by the edge of the 

 stream ; but the third, a German, and a very 

 powerful fellow, followed a well-beaten game 

 trail, leading through the bushy point. 

 When they were some forty yards apart the 

 two men heard an agonized shout from the 



