192 OBsERV.ViiONs. 



Riding on, we soon came lo a large sand creek ; and observing severa. 

 bulls in the vicinity, we accepted tlie advantage offered by a small grove 

 of cottonwoods and willows with a clear spring, and struck camp. 



Durina the day, the oddity of an old Franco-Canadian, who accompa- 

 nied us, afforded me considerable amusement. Observing that he had car- 

 ried his gun uncharged for several days past, a circumstance so singular 

 CTtruB country led me to enquire the cause. The old fellow, with the most 

 lauo-hable satifr froid, answered as JoUows : ,, , r i j 



""Me carry fusee load ? No, no ! monsieur. No good, carry fusee load 

 Bur ie printems. Certes, much bear come out— him dangereux. Me live 

 long en le montagnes ; oui, no remarque— duo, tree, great many year . 

 Sacre dem bear,— vat you call him en la American ? 



« Gnzziy bear. I suppose you mean," said I. ^ . . , , 



" Oui, oui, monsieur ; much graces, monsieur i Oui, gizzle bear ; me 

 narler bon American, que no remarque gizzle bear ! ^« ntonner ! Sacre dcm 

 eizzie bear, him come out une day, kill me dc pres. 



» Well" continued I; " what lias that to do with cairying your gun Mn- 



''''»Oui,oui; pardonner, monsieur. Me parler tel une bon Aiuericvai! 

 IVie reciter, sacre dem bear,— vat you call hira, monsieur ? Oh, gizzle 

 bear ! Sacre dem gizzle bear, me see him une day, en le printems ; big, 

 grand felleu. Shoot him fusee ; make him much blood ; no kul him. 

 Sacre dem bear, gizzle bear, hiia jump for mo. '\/a-r-r-h! he say, (im- 

 italin^ tlie bear.) Bon Dieu ! me no stay dare; me bem fast i un mo 

 aband-oaner la fusee ; me climb une leetil pine. Sacre dem bcar-vat you 

 call him ? Ah, oui, gizzle bear. Certes, monsieur, me parlei bon Amer- 

 ' .an, tel un. nature! ! Sacre dem bear, him come to tree ; no climb uun, 

 -he too leetil. Look him all roimd, den ; sacre dem bear gizzle beai d.d. 

 See fusee lie; pick him up; cock him fusee, sacre dem bear, gizzle bear 

 dfd TSehirnaimatme-, snap him fusee ^ree time. pa,".onDiea! 

 monDieu! Suppose him fusee been load ! Tonnerre de bateme - Him 

 Thoot me; him kill me dead! sacre dem bear, dem gizze bear vould! 

 Certesrmonsieur ; por le assure, sacre dem gizzle bear, him kill me! en le 

 vtritc, m.onsieur, him kill me dead !" i j„j ; . „^„ 



« So," resumed I, " your reason for not carryino- your gun loaded ., you 

 are fearful that a bear might chance to get hold of it and shoo, you I 



« Certes, monsieur ; en le v.rite ! No carry gmi load, eur le pnnlema. 

 Sacre dem bear get 'old of him, he shoot !" 



Towards night, two of our party, who had gone in pursuit of buJfalo 

 returned laden with meat, which, though poor, was far preferable to the 

 kan venison we had lerl upon for the last twenty-four hours_ 



The male buffalo, at this season of the year, is generally fatter than 

 the femal- unles. it be one of the few barren cows that sometimea 

 are found in large bands; but, -nsitlier is worth boasting ot. 



After our long fasting and indifferent fare for six entire days, it is 

 not marvellous fhat we improved, with quick..iied zest, the present op- 

 portuuity of feasting. 



