266 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



meat affords. Howell, my son, can't you and Colonel A 



go down to the Ouachita to-morrow, and, with Mr. Littlejohn 

 and Albert Williams, Mil a Bear for me?"" 



" Nothing would suit me better," replied Howell. "I 

 have been thinking of it for some time; and if you and 

 Agnes (that was his wif e' s name) can stay here alone for a 

 few days, we will be off to-morrow morning just as soon as 



you can get our eatables ready. I know Colonel A • 



will go, as he has been talking for some time of joining 

 me in a Bear-hunt." 



"You and Colonel A get ready to leave at daylight; 



Agnes and I will order the provisions cooked to-night. You 

 shall not be delayed by us." i 



This settled the matter. I ordered my horse, rode to my 

 office, and packed up everything necessary for me to carry 

 on such a hunt. I cleaned up and put in order my fine 

 double-barrel Manton, sharpened my cane-knife, melted the 

 lead and ran a number of bullets to fit the bore, cut the 

 patching out of thin buckskin, and, lastly, filled my canteen 

 with the best of old Bourbon, to keep me from catching 

 cold; for, though it was then so warm, I anticipated a spell 

 of intensely cold weather before we should return. 



The next evening found the party seated around the 

 camp-fire on the west side of the Ouachita River, which 

 was then low enough to ford at the old Coleman Ford. We 

 had two tents — one for the whites, the other for the negroes. 

 Howell Taylor had a large pack of black-and-tan hounds. 

 Parson Littlejohn had several good hounds, and some 

 shaggy half-curs — excellent fighters. Albert Williams had 

 about a dozen mongrels, all of which were good fighters, and 

 one or two good start-dogs. Howell had one bitch, called 

 Kate, that would rather run a Bear than eat a piece of 

 venison. She could trail up a Bear that had passed two 

 days before, would run it for forty to fifty hours before 

 quitting it, and was equally good on Deer. 



This sensible animal seemed to know just what kind of 

 game her master wanted her to run. At home, if he 

 wanted to go 'Possum-hunting, all he had to do was to 



