282 % A SHOCKING SIGHT. 



the lump o' lead hed done his business. Ef it hedn't, 

 you'd 'a neve? knowed Jake Hawken. I cudn't turn 

 round to see the b'ar, the cave wur so narrer ; so I jest 

 crep' forward a bit till I got into the b'ar's lair, which 

 wur a bit wider. I then turned round an' lit my 

 candle agin, which I wur lucky to lay my claws upon 

 as I groped along on all fours. 



" I soon med out that the b'ar wur dead ; but the 

 critter hed dropped in the narrowest part o' the hull 

 cave an' plugged it up as tight as a ball in my old rifle 

 barrel ! 



" Thur wa'n't no gettin' past him, you bet, so I hed 

 to set to work wi' my bowie; an', fellurs will yer bleeve 

 it ? I wur four mortal hours hackin' an' hewin' at that 

 thur carkidge, an' carryin' pieces o' it back out o' the 

 way, afore I cud squeeze meself past it ! The hide, o' 

 coorse, wur cut to raggles, an' o' no account at all ; an' 

 so I hed nothin' to show fur all my trouble an' danger, 

 'cepting what blood an' grease wur plastered over my 

 old duds. I kem out o' that cave, boyees, as dirty 

 a case as ever ye sot eyes on ! I didn't care fur that 

 though, seein' I wur so well out o' the bisness; fur 

 ef I'd knowed 'twur a grizzly as wur inside I'd never 

 have ventur'd in; that's a fact." Here ended Jake's 

 account of his adventure. 



The remainder of the day was spent in making pre- 

 parations for departure; and when these were completed 

 the hunters retired early to rest, as they anticipated a 

 fatiguing day's journey on the morrow. 



