AN EXCITING TRIP 313 



the famous gold mining town were, indeed, welcome 

 sights. 



When we drew up in front of the hotel, Dr. W. J. 

 Koe was discovered sitting alongside of the big stove 

 in his stocking feet. We asked him to give us a lift in 

 unloading the packhorse. His only answer was to 

 shake his head. 



" What's the matter with you ; have you lost both 

 your father and your mother ? " we asked him, and yet 

 not an intelligible word came from him. It developed 

 that he had but a few minutes before returned from an 

 arduous ride and tramp after a wounded grizzly, and 

 that he was so tired and done up that articulate speech 

 was a hardship for him. 



On the previous Wednesday, a hunter had killed a 

 caribou on Agnes Mountain and had taken away the 

 head and hide, leaving the meat to be carried down by 

 some Chinamen the following day. When the Orien- 

 tals found the carcass in the morning the}'- fled precipi- 

 tately down the side of the mountain, back to Barker- 

 ville, and gave out the startling information that no 

 less than five bears were feeding upon the meat. 



The spokesman said, "Belly too much bear tree 

 brownie bear tree blackie bear one white bear," but 

 this made seven, instead of five. The hunter and his 

 guide mounted a pair of saddle horses when they heard 

 this news, and away they started after the bear con- 

 vention. 



