100 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST.^F 



the spot, and rode round and round it ; it was the 

 thickly overgrown bed of a former spring. Suddenly 

 the dogs gave tongue, and immediately afterwards the 

 bear started out of his hiding-place. Eager as we 

 were we could only follow him slowly, on account of 

 the thick underwood ; so we hobbled the horses' fore- 

 legs, and pressed forward on foot. 



One of the party soon proclaimed that, judging by 

 the bark of the dogs, the bear must have climbed up a 

 tree. Such proved to be the case, and we had hardly 

 discovered him, when I and one of the farmers fired : 

 both balls had taken effect, but a dull cry was the only 

 consequence : two others of the party coming up, fired. 

 He was mortally wounded, drew himself together, and 

 hung by one paw from the tree ; as I hit him on the 

 paw with my buck-shot, he fell, and died under the 

 bites of the dogs, who threw themselves furiously on 

 liim. His flesh was savory and tender, but he was 

 not so fat as was expected. I remained the night with 

 these kind people, and set off again on the following 

 morning. 



Without any thing further worth noticing, I came, 

 on the loth March, to the bank of the Great Red river, 

 the ^boundary between the United States and Texas. 

 A farmer who had a canoe set me over the river, and, 

 following a well-trodden path on the other side, I came 

 to a large slave plantation. The overseer, who directed 

 the labors of the negroes, said at first that he had no 

 room for me to sleeji in ; but as there was no other 

 house far and wide where I could find shelter, he at 

 last agreed, and I found a sumptuous supper and com- 

 fortable bed. 



