152 OB.SEIIVATIOMS, 



Riding on, we soon cam« io a large sand creek; and. observing severa- 

 bulls in the vicinity, we accepted the advantage ofiered by a small grova 

 of cottonwoods and willow*? with a clear spring, and struck camp. 



During the day, the oddity of an old Franco-Canadian, who accompa- 

 nied us, atforded me considerable amusement. Observing that he had car- 

 ried his gu!i uncharged for several days past, a circumstance so singular 

 in this country led me to enquire the cause. The old fellow, with the most 

 laugha.ble sangfroid, answered as follows : 



" Me carry fusee load ? No, no ! monsieur. No good, carry fusee load 

 eur le printems. Certes, much hear come out — him dangereux. Me live 

 long en le montagnes ; oui, no remarque — duo, tree, great many year ! 

 Sacre dem bear, — vat you call him en la American ?" 



" Grizzly bear, I suppose you mean," said I. 



"Oui, oui, monsieur; much graces, monsieur ! Oui, gizzle bear; me 

 parler bon American, que no remarque gizzle bear! ontonner! Sacre dem 

 gizzle bear, him come out une day, kill me de pres." 



" Well." continued I; "what has that to do with carrying your gun Yin- 

 loaded ?" 



"Oui, oui; pardonner, monsieur. Me parler tel une bon Americiui ! 

 Me reciter, sacre dem bear, — vat you call him, monsieur ? Oh, gizzle 

 bear ! Sacre dem gizzle bear, me see him une day, en le printems ; big, 

 grand felleu. Shoot him fusee ; make him much blood ; no kill him. 

 Sacre dem bear, gizzle bear, him jump for me. ' Wa-r-r-h!' he say, (im- 

 itating tiie bear.) Bon Dieu ! me no stay dare ; me bein fast run ; me 

 abandonner la fusee ; me climb une leetil pine. Sacre dem bear — vat you 

 call him ? Ah, oui, gizzle bear. Certes, monsieur, me parler bon Amer- 

 ican, tel une naturel ! Sacre dem bear, him come to tree ; no climb him, 

 —he too leetil. Look him ail round, den ; sacre dem bear, gizzle bear did. 

 See fusee lie ; pick him up; cock him fusee, sacre dem bear, gizzle bear 

 did. Take iiim aim at me ; snap him fusee tree time. Oh, mon Dieu ! 

 mon Dieu ! Suppose him fusee been load ! Tonnerre de bateme ! Him 

 shoot me ; him kill mo dead ! sacre dem bear, dem gizzle bear vould ! 

 Certes, monsieur ; por le assure, sacre dem gizzle bear, him kill me ! en le 

 verite, monsieur, him kill me dead !" 



" So," resumed I, " your reason for not carrying your gun loaded is, you 

 are fearful that a bear might chance to get hold of it and shoot you !" 



" Certes, monsieur ; en le verite ! No carry gun load, sur le printems. 

 Sacre dem bear get 'old of him, he shoot !" 



Towards night, two of our party, who had gone in pursuit of buffalo, 

 returned kden with meat, which, though poor, was far preferable to the 

 lean venison we had led upon for the last tv/enty-four hours. 



The male buffalo, at this season of the year, is generally fatter than 

 the female, unless it be one of the few barren cows that sometimes 

 are found in large bands: but, neither is worth boasting of. 



After our long fasting and indifferent tare for six entire days, it is 

 not marvellous that we improved, with quickened zest, the present op- 

 portunity of feasting. 



