MARAUDING WOLVES BRUIN IN HIS NEST. 309 



ably torn to pieces by his comrades. I scalped my 

 prize, and returned to the camp ; the scalp is valued, 

 as before stated, at three dollars. 



Meantime Conwell had employed himself in roastin"- 

 turkeys, and we made an excellent breakfast. We 

 then started off again. When I came to the place 

 where I had hung up the buck, whose capture nearly 

 cost me my neck, I found that the wolves had suc- 

 ceeded in dragging it doAvn, and eaten nearly all but 

 the bones. I knocked over another, and also killed a 

 wild cat; returning to camp in the afternoon, where 

 Conwell had arrived before me. He had killed a 

 couple of deer, and we decided on bringing them to the 

 camp, as there were so many wolves about. 



Finding no traces of bears, we determined to leave 

 the Richland and try the Mulberry again ; so next 

 morning we loaded our horses, and set off on our 

 return. As we were descending a hill, Conwell stopped 

 suddenly at the foot of a large oak, and after examining 

 the bark attentively, he said that a bear was either in 

 the tree, or had very lately left it. The weather had 

 improved, and it was again rather cold. We had 

 nothing better than our tomahawks for cutting down 

 the tree, and they were not very sharp ; a few strokes 

 proved the fact. Luckily for us it was hollow, and we 

 set-to v/ith a will. 



After hacking at it for three hours, the tree began 

 to crack. We seized our rifles, called the dogs, and 

 hastened towards the direction in which the tree must 

 fall, to be ready to receive him. A couple of 

 small spluiters broke first ; then a larger one ; then the 



