230 GUN, KOD, AND SADDLE. 



her hopeful progeny feasted upon the beetles and ants 

 thus exposed. The old lady had neither winded nor 

 heard us, and she remained sedulously pursuing her 

 avocation, perfectly ignorant that her industry and 

 strength were forming a subject of admiration to 

 a son of Adam. At length their search for insects 

 took them out of sight, and I descended to join my 

 companions. 



The day by this was far spent, and neither of us 

 having arms suitable for an assault upon the happy 

 family, we determined to seek the settlement and 

 revisit the scene on the morrow. Next day, at an early 

 hour, with quite a re-enforcement, all armed with most 

 formidable fire-arms, from the Spencer rifle to the old 

 smooth bore, and accompanied by a well-tried bear 

 dog, we sallied forth ; for miles we tracked Madam 

 Bruin by the broken fragments of decayed timber 

 and the numerous logs she had disturbed from their 

 original resting-place. 



Finally, we thought she could not be far distant, 

 and the dog was untied; off he went like a thunder- 

 bolt, and in a quarter of an hour we heard him baying 

 vociferously. Guns were looked to, the men most 

 energetic previously now dropped behind, doubtless 

 to examine their trusty rifles and see that the pow- 



