THE -303 AND BEARS 237 



springtime excursion ; fresh, luxuriant grass was everywhere, 

 flowers and sweet herbs in plenty, while later on when we 

 returned and the marigolds were dead, lupins had taken their 

 place in extraordinary profusion, changing the colouring of 

 Nature's carpet from richest gold to brightest blue. Then we 

 entered the bush, riding among spruces and pines, patches of 

 bright green tamarac, balsam, and cottonwood, the green 

 mountains on either side sloping to the creek, which, filled 

 with snow-water, rushed noisily towards Okanagan Lake. 

 Lynxes had evidently been trapped here in plenty during the 

 winter ; their skulls, bones, and pads were hanging on many a 

 bush thankofferings to the Great Spirit for the successful 

 hunt an ancient custom even now followed by the old-fashioned 

 Indian. In my small experience these offerings always consist 

 of that which is absolutely useless to the giver, such as bare 

 bones and pads, never of anything which is of any market 

 value, or capable of digestion by an Indian's stomach. An old 

 Ojibbeway Indian, my companion in another part of the country, 

 never failed to transfix the paper wrapper of his lunch on one 

 of the highest boughs of an adjacent bush by way of offering 

 to the Spirit, but never until the last morsel of the contents had 

 been gratefully accepted by his own stomach. 



After two marches Aeneas and I left our camp on the creek to 

 prospect the country for bear, finding on the very first day fresh 

 marks of a grizzly, who apparently had made his home in the 

 thick brush which covered the mountain-top. But these bears 

 are very difficult to find, roaming as they do over a very large 

 area, and hiding in all sorts of impossible places. We therefore 

 left the carcase of a deer in an open spot a card of invitation 

 for our friend to meet us. The deer was easily procured ; they 

 were in plenty, feeding on the sweet, new grass, and visiting 

 alkali spots here and there in quest of seidlitz powders. After 

 securing the best parts for our larder, we left the remainder 

 to get " gamey," the better to attract Mr. Grizzly, who has 

 a powerful nose, and prefers his venison haut-gout. This meat 

 although, of course, out of season, was most acceptable in our 

 menu, which until then had consisted of bacon and beans three 

 times a day. 



The remains of many deer, dead from climate, ticks, or want 

 of food in winter or early spring, lying about on the mountain- 



