x THE BEAR 205 



Somewhere, not far from his present camp, a mounted stranger 

 dropped in late one evening. The man was riding a good horse, 

 but was quite alone ; so also was Big Bill. The camp of the skin- 

 hunter was then the same in appearance as when I saw him and 

 his partner Bob Stewart simplicity itself; a long spruce pole was 

 lashed at either end to two spruce firs ; against this, leaning at an 

 angle of about 45, were sixty or seventy straight poles laid close 

 together, and upon these were arranged spruce boughs to form a 

 thatch. This lean-to provided a tolerable shelter within the forest, 

 when the wind was sufficiently considerate to blow at the back 

 against the thatch, instead of direct towards the open face. The 

 ground in the acute angle was strewed with branches of spruce, 

 and a large fire was kept burning during night, exactly in front, 

 the whole arrangement exhibiting the principle of a Dutch oven. 



In such a camp, Big Bill received the stranger with the 

 hospitality of the wilderness, and they laid themselves down to 

 rest in the close companionship of newly-made friends. 



The morning broke, and as Big Bill rubbed his eyes with 

 mute astonishment, he could not see his friend. He rose from his 

 sleeping-place, and went outside in the cold morning air ; he could 

 not see his horses. A horrible suspicion seized upon him; he 

 searched the immediate neighbourhood ; the animals had vanished, 

 both horses and mules were gone, together with the unknown 

 stranger, to whom he had given food and shelter for the night. 



Fortunately there was a particular horse which Big Bill for 

 special reasons kept separate from the rest ; this animal was 

 picqueted by itself among the spruce firs at some little distance, 

 and had been unobserved by the departed stranger. To saddle 

 the horse, and to follow in pursuit at the highest speed upon the 

 trail of the horse-stealer, was the work of only a few minutes. 

 The track was plain enough in the morning dew, where ten or a 

 dozen mules and horses had brushed through the low prairie grass. 

 Big Bill went at a gallop, and he knew that he must quickly 

 overtake them ; his only doubt lay in the suspicion that there 

 might be confederates, and that a strong party might have joined 

 together to secure the prize, instead of the solitary stranger being 

 in charge. However, at all hazards he pushed on at best speed in 

 chase ; at the same time, the horse-stealer, thoroughly experienced 

 in his profession, was driving his ill-gotten herd before him at a 

 gentle trot, thoroughly convinced that it would be impossible to be 

 overtaken, as the owner had been left (as he supposed) without a 

 horse. 



At length, after a pursuit of some hours, upon attaining the 



