GRIZZLY BEABS. 41 



and the poor hunter was severely torn and bitten, 

 and had an arm and a leg broken, but succeeded in 

 killing his rugged foe. 



"For several days he remained at the bottom of 

 the pit, too much crippled to move, and subsisting 

 on the raw flesh of the bear. At length he regained 

 sufficient strength to scramble to the top of the pit, 

 and crawling into a ravine formed by a nearly dry 

 watercourse, he took a delicious draught. The fresh 

 water infused new life into him. Then dragging 

 himself along from pool to pool, he sustained him- 

 self with small fish and frogs. 



" One day he saw a wolf kill a deer in the neigh- 

 bouring prairie; he instantly scrambled out of the 

 ravine, scared away the wolf, and, lying down beside 

 the carcase of the deer, he remained there until he 

 had made several hearty meals, by which his strength 

 was much recruited. 



" Returning to the ravine, he followed the water- 

 course to a point where it grew to be a considerable 

 stream. He descended this river, allowing himself 

 to be guided by the current, and just at the point 

 where it emptied into the Mississippi, he found a 

 f illen tree, which he launched with some difficulty, 

 and getting astride of it, committed himself to the 

 current of the mighty river. In this way he floated along 

 until he arrived opposite 'the Fort at Council Bluffs. 



