MOUNT RAINIER 



"Hyas tamanoiis!" whispered Lpolowcan, when 

 no bird fell or flew, "big magic/' it seemed to the 

 superstitious youth. Often when sportsmen miss, 

 they claim that their gun is bewitched, and avail 

 themselves of the sure silver bullet. 



A second ball, passing with keener aim through the 

 barrel, attained its mark. Grouse third shook off his 

 mortal remains, and sped to heaven. The two others, 

 contrary to rule, for I had shot the lower, fled, cowardly 

 carrying their heavy bodies to die of cold, starvation, 

 or old age. "The good die first," ay, Wordsworth ! 

 among birds this is verity ; for the good are the fat, 

 who, because of their avoirdupois, lag in flight, or 

 alight upon lower branches and are easiest shot. 



Loolowcan bagged my three trophies and added 

 them to the first. Henceforth the thought of a grouse 

 supper became a fixed idea with me. I dwelt upon it 

 with even a morbid appetite. I rehearsed, in pro- 

 phetic mood, the scene of plucking, the scene of roast- 

 ing, that happy festal scene of eating. So immersed 

 did I become in gastronomic revery, that I did not mind 

 my lookout, as I dashed after Loolowcan, fearless and 

 agile cavalier. A thrust awoke me to a sense of pass- 

 ing objects, a very fierce, lance-like thrust, full at my 

 life. A wrecking snag of harsh dead wood, that pro- 

 jected up in the trail, struck me, and tore me half off 

 my horse, leaving me jerked, scratched, disjointed, and 

 shuddering. Pachydermatous leggins of buckskin, at 

 cost of their own unity, had saved me from impale- 

 ment. Some such warning is always preparing for 

 the careless. 



I soon had an opportunity to propitiate Nemesis by 

 a humane action. A monstrous trunk lay across the 

 trail. Loolowcan, reckless steeplechaser, put his horse 

 at it, full speed. Gubbins, instead of going over 

 neatly, or scrambling over cat-like, reared rampant 

 and shied back, volte face. I rode forward to see 

 what fresh interference of Tamanoiis was here, 



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