CHAPTER XVI 



MORE CAMP-FIRE YARNS 



The Charge of the Duchess The Death of the Duke of Wellington 

 The Horror of the Rocks The Sheep that Couldn't be Caught 

 The Matches that Wouldn't Light. 



ON several occasions I had heard mention of a nar- 

 row escape that Mr. Phillips enjoyed from the claws of 

 a wounded grizzly bear; and in the leisure hours of that 

 rainy day in camp, it occurred to me to draw out all the 

 facts regarding the affair. So I said: 



" John, it seems to me that in spite of all the bear- 

 killing that has been done in these mountains, there have 

 been no real bear scrapes, such as some men are always 

 stirring up." 



" He has always shot so well there hain't been any 

 room for argument," said Mack, with emphasis, " at 

 least not more than that one time with the Duchess." 



" Did the Duchess charge, regularly? " 



" She surely did," said Mr. Phillips, quietly, " and I 

 was properly scared, too." 



" How did it happen that she got a chance at you? " 



" It was all on account of Charlie's dog, the great 

 and only Kaiser." 



" Aw, shucksl " broke in Charlie, warmly. " It was 



