HANK HOTCHKISS 189 



lie gits Healed, or light out and leave the country 

 right now." 



But as subsequent events proved the wounded 

 bear chose neither of these alternatives. Frazer, 

 crossing Little Eocky next day, some distance below 

 the trap, heard the loud complaint of a grizzly is- 

 suing from a small clump of brush, and, cautiously 

 investigating, discovered Hank's missing bear. The 

 animal was almost helpless from loss of blood and 

 it was no trick at all to put him out of his misery 

 with the Liiger automatic that the chief carried. 



To his great astonishment Frazer found upon ex- 

 amination that the animal was minus not one foot, 

 but two ; the wound on the fore leg a recent injury, 

 the dry scar on the stump of the hind leg indicating 

 an older hurt. 



Hank looked the carcass over carefully when we 

 went out to skin it. 



"By gum," he declared, "I've caught this here 

 bear twice. Last year I got a hindfoot jist the size 

 of this here one in one of my traps, an' I'm satisfied 

 this is the critter left it there. Yes, sir, he's done 

 tore off two feet in them traps and now we got him 

 after all. Ain't that the outbeatinest thing y' ever 

 heerd tell on?" 



Frazer later bought the two missing feet from 

 the trapper, who had kept them safe, and sent the 

 hide in to be mounted. It never made a very val- 

 uable piece of fur, but the chief would not take sev- 

 eral times its actual worth for the rug. 



