162 THE AMERICAN BLACK BEAR. 



the principal features of the jungle, growing together 

 in dense clusters of great height. These patches ex- 

 tended in some cases over several square miles of 

 ground, and were so matted and tangled together with 

 briars, wild vines, and other creeping plants, that the 

 only method of getting through was literally to carve 

 out a road with the hunting-knife. This was often in- 

 dispensable when the hounds had treed their' quarry, or 

 had found him more than a match for their united 

 strength. 



The tall canes (Arundo gigantea) are frequently used 

 as fishing-rods in the Northern States ; they grow up to 

 a height of thirty feet or more, and near the ground 

 are as large as a small stove-pipe, tapering upwards 

 gradually till they are as slender as crow-quills. 



'Old Ben Thompson has promised to join us, so we 

 are pretty certain of sport,' said the Major, as he wished 

 me good-bye after receiving my promise to join the 

 expedition. Ben Thompson, or ' Uncle Ben,' as he was 

 more commonly called, was one of the oldest settlers in 

 the State of Texas, and the keenest sportsman that ever 

 drew trigger. His chief characteristic was a deep and 

 undying hatred of the Mexicans ; the reason for which 

 was that he had lost two sons engaged in the ' War of In- 

 dependence ' which Texas waged against Mexico. Uncle 

 Ben bitterly lamented their death, and swore a solemn 

 oath never to shave until he had slain Santa Anna, or 

 heard of his death. At the period of which I speak — 



