IN THE FAR WEST. 65 



report heard during the morning; and it had scarcely died 

 away before two Indians were beside me, as if they had risen 

 out of the bushes, and making inquiries about what had been 

 killed. On seeing it they seemed to be satisfied; and taking 

 out a knife, one of them cut it open, drew the viscera, and 

 hung the carcase on a tree, which was " blazed/' so that it 

 could be readily identified. We then resumed our march, and 

 in the course of twenty minutes heard the yelping and howling 

 of the dogs. 



" Itsoot " bear said one of the Indians who remained with 

 us, and rushing through the shrubbery at a pace we could not 

 show, he soon disappeared from our sight. We tried to follow, 

 but gave up the attempt in a short time, and walked on 

 leisurely, excusing ourselves for our apparent laziness by 

 saying that we would not kill ourselves running after a bear 

 which we might not even see. \Ve could hear the dogs 

 yelping at intervals, first in one direction, then in another, 

 and some distance away ; but they suddenly began to approach 

 us. This put us on our mettle, so we hastened forward and 

 reached an open piece of woods in a few minutes. As soon as 

 we entered this we, saw the dogs nipping at, and yelping 

 around, a large dark object that was alternately charging and 

 wheeling and attempting to retreat. Making a strong spurt, 

 we were soon near the pack, just as four or five Indians 

 appeared from opposite directions. The bear seeing new foes 

 broke away, despite the efforts of the noisy curs, and sought 

 refuge high up among the branches of a fir that must have 

 had an altitude of two hundred feet. 



A shot or two caused it to lose its hold of the bough on 

 which it was resting and to come tumbling to the ground, 

 amid a shower of branches, with a shock that killed it in a 

 moment. The dogs became hilarious on seeing the death of 

 the fugitive, and barked and jumped about in a most 

 enthusiastic manner; but even in death they feared it, for 

 alter nipping at it they would jump away growling and 

 grinning, as if they were being pursued. The quarrv proved 

 to be a female nearly full grown, and by making a rough 



F 



