294 OLD JAKE'S ADVENTURE. 



adventures of this kind had befallen old Jake, which 

 he recounted for the amusement of his companions. 

 One of these we reproduce here : 



"'Twur jest three yearn ago," began the trapper, 

 "that I wur out in the Wind River mountains pro- 

 spectin' partly fur gold an' partly fur pelts. Thur wur 

 a sight o' elk that winter in the valleys, as the snow 

 wur deep above, an' druv down the game, which kem 

 in also in troops from the plains eastwards. Wai, I hed 

 poked out as sweet a location as ever ye seed a leetle 

 valley hedged in by thunderin' big hills on all sides, 

 'ceptin' torst the south, an' wi' timber scattered over it 

 jest like it'd be planted o' purpose fur shelter. Thur 

 wa'n't much snow on the ground hyur, an' when the 

 sun shone bright, ye'd a'most think 'twur summer instead 

 o' its bein' winter. Wai, I guess 'twur the warmth o' 

 the sun as fetched out old Eph from his cave or whur- 

 somever he'd toted his old carkidge to. I wur lookin' 

 arter my pelts, an', o' coorse, never thort o' a grizzly 

 standin' on his hind legs 'ithin ten yards o' my back 

 till I heerd a sniff an' looked round. Boyees ! a fellur 

 sometimes feels blarmed queer out in these diggin's; but 

 I wish I may never feel agin what I felt when I 

 squinted around an' seed that b'ar a raal buster- 

 squatted on his hams, an' wuss'n all, wi' my rifle on the 

 ground clost to him ! Hyur wur a blessed go. Ef I'd 

 had that leetle gun in my hand I'd a felt a weight off 

 my gizzard ; but thur wa'n't no help fur it. I hed no 

 tree to run to, nor hed I eyther knife or pistol. I'd left 



