234 GAMBLING FOE GLOET. 



" Spoken like a liberal and free-hearted gentleman," said 

 Smith. "Well, Doctor, name the amount and nature of 

 the blackmail you intend to levy upon me. But have a con- 

 science, man ! have a conscience ! " 



" It will be making a great sacrifice on my part," the 

 Doctor replied, " but out of friendship for you, I'll make you 

 a proposition. We'll toss up a dollar, and the one that wins 

 shall have the honour of having killed the bear, and of tell- 

 ing the story in his own way, and the others shall indorse it." 



" Agreed," said Smith, " but if you win, I shall have to 

 borrow a conscience of Spalding, or some other lawyer, for 

 there'll be need of a pretty elastic one." 



" Yours will answer, I think," drily remarked Spalding. 

 * " It appears to me, gentlemen," said I " that I've some- 

 thing to say about the killing of that bear." 



" You," exclaimed the Doctor, " what had you to do with 

 it, pray ? There stands your rifle, with the same ball in it 

 that you placed there this morning. You havn't discharged 

 your rifle to-day." 



" Notwithstanding that," I replied, " I am entitled to a 

 portion of tlje glory, as I am chargeable with my share of 

 the responsibility, of killing the bear. I was one of the first 

 who discovered him ; I was among the foremost in the pur- 

 suit ; I was present, aiding and advising in the manner of 

 the killing ; I had my weapon in my hand, and was re- 

 strained from using it, only because you might fail to ac- 

 complish what my reserved bullet would have made secure 

 Now, if this bear had been human, and we were accused of 



