IN THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS. 105 



Soon after leaving this point we passed out of the timber 

 entirely onto a high, open plateau a broad stretch of prairie 

 tableland. Over this we were slowly wending our way, 

 when we saw at a distance, about a mile and a half ahead of 

 us, a large dark object moving slowly about, evidently feed- 

 ing. I took out my field glass to try and determine what the 

 strange apparition was, that here upon this blasted heath 

 stopped our way with such peculiar motions. Huffman said 

 it was a buffalo. Jack said : 



"No, it's a horse with a saddle on. There must be a 

 camp not far off." 



By this time I had adjusted the glass and taken an obser- 

 vation. 



" It's a bear," said I, "and a big one, too." 



"Well," said Huffman, "If that's. a bear it's the biggest 

 one in the mountains." 



I passed him the glass. He looked, still doubted my 

 assertion ; but we resolved to settle the question of its 

 identity in short meter, and as we put spurs to our animals, 

 Huffman shouted in tragic tones : 



" Angels and ministers of grace defend us ! 

 Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd, 

 Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell, 

 Be thy intents wicked or charitable ; 

 Thou com'st in such a questionable shape, 

 That I will speak to thee, 

 With this old paralyzer of mine." 



As our mules tore up the sod and filled the air in our rear 

 with pulverized grass and mud, the distance between us and 

 the mysterious apparition rapidly diminished, and we soon 

 saw plainly enough with the naked eye, that it was a large 

 grizzly engaged in turning over rocks and clawing up the 

 ground in search of worms ; or as the Western slang expresses 

 it " rustling for his chuck. " We now halted and laid our 



