356 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



a strip of prairie of the deepest verdure, open to the sun, 

 which produced the illusion of a gold and emerald flood, 

 stilly creeping beneath the grim towering shadows. A few 

 small trees were scattered along the feet of the ridges a short 

 distance out into our prairie. We were all entranced into 

 gazing upon this marvelous scene, which opened in new traits 

 of surpassing loveliness and grandeur as we approached. 



The awed silence which had fallen round the party was 

 broken by a quick, vehement exclamation of the Doctor, 

 "Egad! there they are ! I'm into 'em, boys!" and away he 

 dashed, with "bobtail" at his best speed, and flourishing the 

 spear above his head ! 



Looking around in astonishment for the cause of this 

 sudden outbreak, I saw the whole party bending forward in 

 the act of letting out their horses, while their eyes were 

 strained with a half eager, half comic look after the Doctor. 

 Following the same direction, I could distinguish, three or 

 four hundred yards ahead, several black, unwieldy-looking 

 objects, that seemed to be rooting in the long grass, just at 

 the foot of one of the low Knobs, and a little distance out in 

 the prairie. One of them raised its head at the moment, and 

 I saw that is was a bear ! Hays exclaimed, as he spurred his 

 horse " Boys, we're lucky ! They come down to feed on the 

 snails !" at the same moment the company broke off like 

 madmen. I followed, but having been pre-occupied, and less 

 on the alert, was soon among the hindmost. 



The valiant Doctor had between fifty and eighty rods the 

 start of us. His fiery little pony carried him straight up to 

 the nearest bear, which stood upon its hind feet stupidly 

 snuffing the air, evidently greatly puzzled what to make of 

 these new visitors ! The gallant ^sculapian dashed up to it, 

 and was raising his spear to strike, before the astonished 

 animal had concluded to turn tail, which, when it did, it 

 waddled off with great speed. But, as the Doctor drove away 

 manfully at its shaggy back with his weapon, in his eagerness 



