AV THE FAR U'EST, Si 



loudly, and the bear hoarsely screaming, we took the former 

 aboard for fear of any accident though not without some 

 danger of getting a spill ourselves, owing to the lightness of 

 the canoe and paddling towards the shore, we dragged the 

 captive after us. IJefore landing, we found that it was too 

 large to be made a pet of, so we killed it by shooting it through 

 the head with our pocket revolvers, and gave the carcass to 

 the Indian, who was delighted to have it. The doctor dried 

 his clothes at an Indian hut before going to the reservation on 

 which he was stationed ; and on reaching there he took very 

 good care not to mention a word about his accident, for fear of 

 being made a target for ridicule. 



I was out on another occasion after grouse with a public 

 singer, and he, being unused to walking, stopped to rest in 

 the woods while I trudged on in search of game. I had not 

 been two minutes away before I saw him running towards 

 me at his best pace, and shouting my name. Thinking 

 he was being pursued by some drunken Indians, I cocked 

 my gun and awaited developments. On reaching me he said 

 that a bear had jumped out of a burnt tree-stump close by him, 

 and had frightened him badly. I went back to the stump, 

 but although it was hollow I could see no indications that a, 

 bear had inhabited it at anytime, and I told him so. Assum- 

 ing that he had been somewhat rash in his fright, and fear- 

 ing the result if the tale were told to his acquaintances, he 

 promised to sing all the way into town if I would not 

 " peach" on him. I promised to comply on this condition, and 

 the result was that he sung all the popular songs he knew, the 

 entire distance. When we reached the outskirts of the town 

 he wished to cease, but I insisted on his singing as far as 

 the hotel, or relating the story when we reached there, and he 

 reluctantly consented. While passing down the main street 

 his dulcet tones attracted the attention of several persons, and 

 some who knew him must have presume'] that he was labour- 

 ing under some unusual mental excitement. A few called at 

 the hotel to learn what ailed him, and these he told that he 

 had shot a bear and was so overjoyed at the matter that he had 

 to indulge in singing to soothe his ecstatic feelings. The story 



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