A FEAST OF BEAR MEAT. 166 



every mountaineer is necessarily a proficient, and rarely will he ventuit 

 upon a long journey without the appurtenances of his profession. 



The process of shoe-muking with him is reduced to its most simple form. 

 He merely takes two pieces of buflalo* (or any other suitable) skin, each 

 being a little longer and wider than his foot, particularly towards the 

 heel ; these he folds separately, and lays them togetiier parallel with the 

 turned edges ; then, rounding and trimming tlie sides, to render them foot- 

 shaped, with an awl and the sinew of buflalo or other animal, or small 

 strips of thin deer-skin, (" whang") he sews the vamps from end to end, — 

 then after cutting a tongue-like appendage in the upper side, midway from 

 heel to toe, and stitching together Uie posterior parts, his task is done. 



Having obtained a quantity of sap from a grove of box-elders near 

 camp, we found it a sweet and pleasant liquid, and not infeiior to that of 

 maple. Sugar might be manufactured from it, with little trouble. ^ 



The leaves of this tree, as well as the general appearance of its wood 

 greatly assimilate those of maple, and, independent of its bushy tops and 

 stunted, winding growtl^i, it would be hard to tell the difference at a first 

 glance. 



Grame was plenty on every side, both buffalo, deer, and elk, with some 

 few bear. 



The second day after our arrival, one of the latter, attracted by the scent 

 of fresh buflulo meat, ventured within gun-shot of camp. Listantly the 

 balls of four rifles were buried in his carcase. Aroused by this feeling 

 salute, he rushed towards us at the top of iiis speed, when our horses, 

 affrighted at the strange appearance, broke snorting away over the neigh- 

 boring hills, and we ourselves took to trees as fast as possible. 



In the midst of this general consternation a pistol bail, fired by one of 

 the party, buried itself in the brains of our troablesome visitor and laid him 

 prostrate. 



He was one of a species common to the mountains, called the red bear, 

 and must have weighed four or five hundred pounds. The fat upon his 

 back was full three inches tliick His skin when stretched would have 

 compared in size to that of a buffalo, and the claws of his feet were full three 

 incnes long. 



At this season of the year, when these animals first leave their dens, 

 tney are much the fattest, — a singular circumstance, if we remember the 

 Tact of their remahiing holed up for the entire winter, without eating ! 



After butchering tha greasy victim, and bringing our erratic horses back 

 to camp, we regaled ourselves with an ample feast of bear's hver, heart, 

 and kidneys, basted witli fat, — a dish that epicures might well covet. 

 Then, filling a large camp-kettle with portions of the " fleece " and ribs, 

 we allowed it to boil till the next morning, and thus prepared another deli- 

 cious entertainment, such as is rarely met with in any country other tlian 

 Jiis. 



Bear meat, to be tender and good, should be boiled at least ten hours. 

 This is probably the most preferable mode of cooking it, though a roast ol 

 [he article is far from bad. 



''^here are four several varieties of bear found In the Rocky Mountains 



