"PUT FORTH THY HAND" 57 



I led Billie by the chief's cabin without any 

 trouble, as the heavy wind was blowing 

 directly towards the old Indian, so the mule 

 didn't get the scent. Having passed by him a 

 couple of hundred yards, our Chief's voice 

 was heard above the wind asking me to tether 

 Billie, and run back and help him with 

 "Beck," a lady mule who was wild with fright. 

 The old Indian chief and his wife had in the 

 meantime come out to the front of their cabin 

 and "Beck" had not only seen, but scented 

 them. When I reached the panic-stricken 

 mule, we found that we needed even a third 

 man's help before we could get her under con- 

 trol, and then not until we had asked the 

 Indians to go back into their cabin — which 

 they graciously did — could we get her by. It 

 was surmised that both Billie and Beck had in 

 their younger days belonged to Indians, and 

 perhaps had been cruelly treated by them; 

 hence the scent of an Indian, and particularly 

 the sight of one, drove them into a frenzy of 

 fear. 



We now saw everywhere along the trail the 

 fresh signs of a large grizzly bear which had 

 been tearing up gopher holes, to catch, kill, 

 and eat these fat and juicy little animals, 

 which at this time of the year are at their best. 



