AV THE FAR ll'EST. 49 



mustang became alarmed again at the object approaching, and 

 wheeled to the rear. He had not gone far ere I checked him ; 

 caused him to make a demi-volt, and got another shot. Bullets 

 were whizzing thickly around his bearship at this time, and 

 he did not go five yards further ere he fell, groaning, to the 

 ground, and bleeding profusely. Two revolver shots in the 

 head finished him, and our prize lay outstretched before us in 

 all his inanimate majesty. Who killed him ? Every one was 

 willing to bet or swear that he had hit him, yet on examining 

 the body only three bullets were found, though fifty must have 

 been fired. The whole time occupied by this contest did not 

 exceed ten minute?, yet it would seem as though a small army 

 was firing, so- rapidly were the leaden missiles poured forth. 



After the death the assembly was sounded by a loud halloo, 

 and the runaways returned, swearing as only Spaniards can, 

 at their ill-luck and their cowardly steeds. Having dragged 

 the bear into some bushes, we reformed our line and moved in 

 an oblicpue direction to the right, where the manzanita grew 

 thickly. The dogs had scarcely entered the shrubbery ere ;i 

 simultaneous yelp made us all halt, and in a few moments a 

 female broke cover, but seeing the number of enemies sur- 

 rounding her she re-entered the bushes and made for a ravine 

 on the right. Her course was marked by the swaying of the 

 shrubbery, so to the right we all started at the best speed of 

 our horses, intending to head her off. "We had scarcely pro- 

 ceeded half a mile ere we struck a canyon, and into this we had 

 the chagrin of seeing our game hurl herself, for she apparently 

 went to the bottom at one stride. That she was not injured, 

 however, was proved by the yelping of the dogs, which pursued 

 her for over a mile ; but I may add that they took very good 

 care not to go too near her. 



As we could not do much in the heat of the day, we con- 

 cluded to return to camp and await the morrow for the 

 resumption of our sport. During the evening, while lying 

 around the fire, everybody was telling just how he missed or 

 hit the bear ; but who hit him is to this day a mystery, for the 

 greater number insisted that their bullets struck just where 

 the holes were found. Whoever reached the vicinity of the 



