26 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



around the camp. Bruin had fully satisfied his ap- 

 petite and then displayed the general " cussedness" 

 of his nature by leaving a universal wreck behind 

 him. 



And how those Englishmen did rage ! They swore 

 vengeance against that individual bear in particular 

 and all bears in general. There was absolutely noth- 

 ing left about the place fit to eat. Going to Johnson's 

 they begged sufficient food to last them until they 

 could send down the mountain for more supplies. 

 They bought a big bear-trap and imported a fine Eng- 

 lish hound and began a campaign against the bear. 

 The greatest loss was the death of the hound, which 

 was caused by the bite of a trade rat. One man was 

 now constantly on guard at the camp while the others 

 searched the woods for the bear. The only indica- 

 tion they ever had of his presence afterward was 

 when he ate up a deer which one of their number 

 killed and left in the woods while he returned to 

 camp for assistance to bring it in. 



The top of the mountain was still seven miles away, 

 and Johnson told Dyche of another ranch there be- 

 longing to a man named Harvey, who could probably 

 give them better hunting-grounds than would be 

 found lower down. This determined the hunters to 

 push on up the mountain. Near the top they came 

 upon a beautiful park, in the centre of which stood a 

 lone, one-roomed cabin. A cow and burro grazed 

 on the luxuriant grass close by, and a man was 

 chopping logs. As the two men approached he rested 

 from his labor and looked at them with surprise. 

 The visitors opened with a friendly " hello ! " 



