70 A BEAR-HUNT. 



CHAPTER VI. 



A bear-hunt. Curious story of a bear. A wolf-hunt. Indian dogs. Visit 

 Fort Carlton. Recipe for Rubbiboo. A ball at Fort Carlton. Ponies 

 wintering in the snow. Intelligence of sleigh-dogs. Ingratitude of 

 Ki-chi-mo-ko-man. Torn Boot a thief. Determine to punish him. 

 A-ta-ka-koup joins me in the enterprise. Surprise Tom Boot. Tre- 

 mendous struggle. Tom Boot receives a thrashing. Leave our hut for 

 Fort Carlton. Serious difficulty at the river. Nearly starved. Rescued 

 by boat. My feet frozen. The manufacture of pemmican. Frozen 

 fish. A professional bear-hunter. F and I part. Effect of elo- 

 quence on Indians. 



I HAD always told the Indians who carne to see us that if 

 they brought us word when they chanced to find a bear's 

 wintering-hole we would reward them liberally; so, shortly 

 after my return from visiting my friends, an Indian boy came 

 to me from Ki-chi-mo-ko-man to tell me that a bear's hole 

 had been found, and that I must come at once, as it being now 

 the month of March, the bear was likely to come out any time. 

 Badger and I therefore started the next morning, taking with 

 us two dogs and a small sleigh for our bedding. The crust on 

 the snow was good, and we were in excellent training, so that 

 we reached Ki-chi-nio-ko-man's house late that night, having 

 travelled nearly forty miles. 



