2GG WILD SPOPwTS IX THE FAR WEST. 



selves, took their places. This is one of the customs of 

 the West which always displeased me. The hostess 

 seldom sits down to table with the men, except now 

 and then at tea or coffee. The other custom, that of 

 rising when they had had enough, without regard to 

 those who remained at table, was not so bad. 



After supper the company formed various groups, 

 and the conversation turned on shooting, pasture 

 grounds, the^ survey of the land that had recently been 

 accom2)lished, and then on religion. Words soon ran 

 high; for among the company were Methodists, Bap- 

 tists, Presbyterians, and unbelievers — but all disputes 

 were put an end to by the arrival of two large jugs of 

 whiskey, each containing about four bottles, which 

 CoUmar had sent his eldest son, a lad of fifteen, to fetch 

 from a distant store. The boy had been obliged to ride 

 slowly for fear of breaking the jugs. 



The old bear-shooters were highly amused at the fol- 

 lowing account one of the party gave of a bear-hunt that 

 had occurred in North Carolina, and which gave a sad 

 picture of the low state to which field sports had fallen 

 there. " In order to have a bear-hunt several farmers 

 met, and let loose a tame two-year-old bear, giving 

 him half an hour's law, and then following with horse 

 and hound. The bear made straight for some hills, 

 and in about an hour and a half's time was chased 

 into a tree. Not wishing to kill him, no one had 

 brought a rifle ; so I went to a house about half a mile 

 off, and borrowed an axe to cut down the tree. The 

 bear looked with inquisitive eyes on the proceedings 

 below, and did not appear to suspect danger, till the 

 tree fell with a tremendous crash : men and doss 



