414 



RECREATION. 



would go back if I would show him 

 the way. I showed him a certain 

 ridge on which there was a wagon 

 road which led to the ranch, and told 

 him when he got there to send one of 

 the boys out with the dogs. 



We have 9 greyhounds and stag 

 hounds that I thought were not afraid 

 of the old boy himself. I struck out 

 on the trail alone, and endeavored to 

 make up for lost time. After crossing 

 2 more canyons I was following along 

 up a little water course when I came 

 across 2 more bear tracks, and as it 

 was now thawing fast and the snow 

 soft, I could not tell what size 

 they were, but they seemed to have 

 met there by appointment and had all 

 jogged along together. I began to 

 think it was not a bad day for bear, 

 and followed on over the ridge into 

 the next canyon, which was a long 

 ways. 



Here the bear had gone down 

 through the edge of an aspen thicket 

 into a steep rough canyon, the North 

 wall of which was covered with a 

 dense growth of pine timber. Among 

 the big trees were plenty of dead 

 timber and green jack pines. 



The bear went into these jacks, and 

 I stopped there to consider the 

 chances of jumping the bear in that 

 place. Finally I concluded I had 

 better wait until the man with the 

 dogs came up. I was tired and hun- 

 gry, and the fun did not seem so brisk 

 as it did where I could have a clear 

 view of the trail several rods ahead. 



I sat down on a rock to rest and 

 thought of going back to the ranch to 

 get the dogs and some of the other 

 hunters. There were 2 other men out 

 — Governor Richards and one of the 

 other boys from the ranch — and I 

 knew they were both bear hungry. I 

 had not finished resting when I heard 

 a noise, and looking up saw Doll, one 

 of the cow punchers, coming tearing 

 along with all the dogs. This sight 

 instantly revived my interest in the 

 sport. I jumped up and waved my 

 hat. Doll rode up and in a minute I 



was surrounded by all the hounds, 

 who seemed to know something un- 

 usual was up. 



The first question I asked Doll was, 



"Did vou bring me anything to 

 eat?" 



"No;" said he; "I was in such a 

 hurry to get to you with' the dogs I 

 never thought of grub." 



"All right," said I ; "a bear hunter 

 ought not to think of eating,' anyway. 

 It is getting late, and if we expect to 

 see the end of this trail to-day we 

 must be moving. Come, pups ; if I 

 were to make a guess now, Mr. Bear, 

 I would guess you would smell brim- 

 stone before sundown." 



I took the dogs and followed the 

 trail through the thick timber, Doll 

 taking his horse around and meeting 

 me wherever the chance offered. Then 

 I would ride the horse and follow the 

 trail on to the next thicket, then dis- 

 mount, tie the horse and follow the 

 trail on foot. Doll would come up, 

 mount the horse and ride around and 

 meet me on the other side. In this 

 way we made good time. 



I was riding at a lope on the trail, 

 following a hog back alongside of a 

 deep, rough canyon, when the trail 

 suddenly turned down into it. I dis- 

 mounted, tied the horse, called in all 

 the dogs, and started down through 

 the fallen timber and jack pines, on 

 foot. I had not gone far when I came 

 to where the bears had lain down, but 

 had gone again. When the dogs came 

 to this place they raised their bristles 

 and growled. Some of the younger 

 ones commenced to bark furiously. 

 The trail was evidently getting too 

 warm for them. When I got them 

 quieted I started on. 



One of the old dogs kept ahead on 

 the trail, and the others followed. At 

 the foot of the hill the trail turned 

 down the canyon. Here the snow was 

 deeper, and the going was better. 



All at once the dogs made a break- 

 through the timber, and I heard Doll 

 say, 



"Look out, George ; here they 





