356 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
a strip of prairie of the deepest verdure, open to the sun, 
which produced the ilusion of a gold and emerald flood, 
stilly creeping beneath the grim towering shadows. A few 
small trees were scattered along the feet of the ridges a short 
distance out into our prairie. We were all entranced into 
gazing upon this marvelous scene, which opened in new traits 
of surpassing loveliness and grandeur as we approached. 
The awed silence which had fallen round the party was 
broken by a quick, vehement exclamation of the Doctor,— 
““Egad! there they are! I’m into ’em, boys!” and away he 
dashed, with “bobtail” at his best speed, and flourishing the 
spear above his head! 
Looking around in astonishment for the cause of this 
sudden outbreak, I saw the whole party bending forward in 
the act of letting out their horses, while their eyes were 
strained with a half eager, half comic look after the Doctor. 
Following the same direction, I could distinguish, three or 
four hundred yards ahead, several black, unwieldy-looking 
objects, that seemed to be rooting in the long grass, just at 
the foot of one of the low Knobs, and a little distance out in 
the prairie. One of them raised its head at the moment, and 
I saw that is was a bear! Hays exclaimed, as he spurred his 
horse—“ Boys, we’re lucky! They come down to feed on the 
snails!” at the same moment the company broke off like 
madmen. I followed, but having been pre-occupied, and less 
on the alert, was soon among the hindmost. 
The valiant Doctor had between fifty and eighty rods the 
start of us. His fiery little pony carried him straight up to 
the nearest béar, which stood upon its hind feet stupidly 
snuffing the air, evidently greatly puzzled what to make of 
these new visitors! The gallant Alsculapian dashed up to it, 
and was raising his spear to strike, before the astonished 
animal had concluded to turn tail, which, when it did, it 
waddled off with great speed. But, as the Doctor drove away 
manfully at its shaggy back with his weapon, in his eagerness 
