HANK HOTCHKISS 189 
he gits healed, or light out and leave the country 
right now.”’ : 
But as subsequent events proved the wounded 
bear chose neither of these alternatives. Frazer, 
crossing Little Rocky next day, some distance below 
the trap, heard the loud complaint of a grizzly is- 
suing from a small clump of brush, and, cautiously 
investigating, discovered Hank’s missing bear. The 
animal was almost helpless from loss of blood and 
it was no trick at all to put him out of his misery 
with the Liiger automatic that the chief carried. 
To his great astonishment Frazer found upon ex- 
amination that the animal was minus not one foot, 
but two; the wound on the fore leg a recent injury, 
the dry scar on the stump of the hind leg indicating 
an older hurt. 
Hank looked the carcass over carefully when we 
went out to skin it. 
“‘By gum,’’ he declared, ‘‘I’ve caught this here 
bear twice. Last year I got a hindfoot jist the size 
of this here one in one of my traps, an’ I’m satisfied 
this is the critter left it there. Yes, sir, he’s done 
tore off two feet in them traps and now we got him 
after all. Ain’t that the outbeatinest thing y’ ever 
heerd tell on?’’ 
Frazer later bought the two missing feet from 
the trapper, who had kept them safe, and sent the 
hide in to be mounted. It never made a very val- 
uable piece of fur, but the chief would not take sev- 
eral times its actual worth for the rug. 
