MR. PALLIRER'S STORY. 45 



immediately set-to and skinnod her, preserving the claws. 

 I then brought up the horse, and laid the skin upon his 

 back; he, strange to say, offering no resistance, nor 

 evincing the slightest fear or objection to carry it." 



" That's a very unusual thing," said I, "for horses in 

 general are terrified at the sight of a bear, and I never 

 saw one that would allow a bear-skin to be thrown over 

 his back. 



" And I have never seen but one," rejoined Mr. Pal- 

 liser. " The horse is a noble animal. You may see him 

 out there among the rest. Mons. Boucharville, who 

 accompanied me in that expedition, was one of those 

 quiet, patient, but indomitable men, who usually triumph 



over all difficulties. 







" I knew him well," said Joe ; " he used to be in the 

 service of the American Fur Company. A good trapper 

 he was when I saw him up the Yellow Stone." 



"A consummate hunter, too," added Mr. Palliser. 

 " We were at one time hunting on the Missouri, near the 

 mouth of the Yellow Stone. Boucharville had been 

 hunting one morning, and had returned to camp without 

 having had a single shot. We then resolved to take the 

 two best horses, and ride three or four miles along the 

 prairie to a favorite point. 



" This was a very fine wood, about nine miles long, and 

 from four to five deep, interspersed with lovely glades, 



