FOREST AND STRfiAM„ 
TWO MEN AND A BEAR. 
Only two things are supposed to justify one in going 
hunting in midsummer: science and health. I was not 
very well, it is true, but probably would have remained 
at home and let the doctor experiment on me if N. hadn't 
come along. He is one of these scientific fellows who live 
in the woods, where they study up new combinations of 
those wonderful Latin words which Webster's Dictionary 
puts in parenthesis after the pictures of birds and animals.^ 
Any man who will accustom his jaw and brain to the use 
of this barbarous lingo need not be surprised if he acquires 
hazy ideas of game, and shows as much interest in the 
pursuit of a lizard or a mouse as in bagging a grizzly. One 
thing he is sure to lose, and that is the sportsman's in- 
stinctive recognition of open and close seasons. 
Now, though it was only July, and though for some rea- 
son not known even to the men who can call them by 
their Latin names, deer are about two months late in com- 
ing to their best estate through this part of Mexico, never- 
theless the aforesaid N. did feloniously entice me to go 
forth with him to try to secure a mule deer. A few miles 
north of the city in which I live is probably the southern 
limit of the range of this big fellow. He is called Venado 
Bura in Spanish. 
H. G. Dulog and I have been having a learned con- 
troversy over that surname, he insisting that it was 
spelled with one r, while I held that it was but the word 
Mirro applied to the deer, as in English, onule-deer. Since 
I got his last letter on the subject I have been forced to 
conclude that he was right and I wrong. But I had over- 
looked till now the slight formality of telling him. A 
gi'ingohas no business knowing more Spanish than an old- 
time greaser like myself. The etymology of bura is uncei-- 
tain. 
In order to be sure of our game we hunted first here in 
town. In the museum of the Instituto Cientifico, an institu- 
tion feebly resembling a State university, we found a 
stuffed specimen. (I did not say mounted. The adjective 
used is exact.) Also a fine set of antlers. In the business 
house of one of the wealthy citizens we found another 
head, a very fine one, though we made no measurements. 
These all came from Cruces, an hacienda some fifty miles 
northeast of here. From various sources we ascertained 
that this deer ranges south over the arid plains of Coa- 
huila and Chihuahua into the upper parts of the States of 
Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi; that it is an inhabitant of 
the Central Plateau and confined strictly to the plains. 
This last item was somewhat of a surprise, but seemed 
well confirmed. The owner of the big head we saw had 
been lassoed by cowboys. But this had happened more 
than twenty years ago, and the more we tried to pin 
down the information to present day facts, the more hazy 
it became. We arrived finally at the conclusion that if 
we would make sure of our game we should have to go 
tjomewhere on the line of the Central or Mexican Inter- 
national railway — an arrangement which suited neither 
of us at that time. We did not clearly make out that this 
deer had disappeared from his former ranges between 
here and the northeastern corner of the Central Plateau, 
but the evidence pointed strongly in that direction. 
Strange to say, we got almost exactly similar information 
in regard to the antelope. Twenty years ago this animal 
was comparatively numerous on all the region mentioned. 
Now, apparently, it has completely disappeared. Nobody 
could explain this. The residents did not think hunting 
had done it. They hunt little, and had no guns fit for an- 
telope hunting. 
Meanwhile, as often happens in hunting, we struck an- 
other and fresher trail. For while in our search for exact 
details we were working northward from point to point, 
trying to pin down the elusive G macrotis, we suddenly 
(and .figuratively) smelled b'ar. We had been told that 
the hacienda of Concepcion had a beautiful sierra on it, 
and that Don F. Ulano could give us information. 
"Yes," said the amiable Don, "there are many animals 
in that sierra. There are deer, and wild hogs, and plenty 
of bear." At this N.'s ears went up like a terrier's when 
he hears rats! Bears? Why, his boss up at Washington 
wanted nothing worse. He was even writing a piece to 
prove that there are about ten different kinds in America 
instead of two, as we used to think. Very likely, this 
fellow from Mexico would be a still further addition. It 
wasn't a good season to go killing deer, anyhow, and bears 
were always in season. Visions of our own names worked 
into horrible combinations, appearing in future scientific 
catalogues, preceded by a capital D, rose in our minds. I 
even went so far as to think that possibly we might be 
at least on the trail of Hough's long lost pine-nut bear. 
"Pues si sefiores," continued our informant, "there are 
many; and nobody hunts them. -Only when they came 
down into the plain after tunas the cowboys rope them. 
Not long ago a mquero caught one that dragged him a 
kilometer or two till he found a telegraph pole and got a 
turn of his rope around it." In answer to a question, we 
learned that the owner of the hacienda in question lived 
in the city, and would probably give us permission to visit 
it. We called, and found an elderly gentleman, who 
looked us over very carefully, and catechised us thor- 
oughly. Finally, he promised that when his clerk came 
in he would have him prepare the necessary permit. Next 
day it was given me, addressed to the adminutrador. 
Also a note in a sealed envelope for a young man at the 
hacienda. 
Almost all the way around the Central Plateau of Mexico 
there is a rim of mountains. They cut off most of the 
moisture that cornes up from the lowlands, and contribute 
more than anything else to the barrenness and arid char- 
acter of the inclosed mesa. Here and there, all over this 
mesa are other mountains, straggling and rugged chains, 
peaks, spurs and excrescences — the smaller mostly vol- 
canic, the high and more continuous ridges usually of 
limestone, with strata battered and tilled, often metamor- 
phosed into many-colored marbles. Just south of Saltillo 
the Mexican National Eoad climbs over this rim in its 
northeastern corner, through Carneros Pass, 8,000ft. above 
sea level. We left the train just as it began the ascent to 
this pass from the inside or south. 
We were on the extreme eastern rim of the mesa, and 
our destination lay across the plain to the southwest, thirty 
miles away, or more. It was a gloriously beautiful scene 
next morning when the sun arose and poured his amber 
light throiigh the clear air. We trained our glasses on tlie 
sierra, which rose seamed and rugged from the flat plain 
perhaps 3,000ft., looking carefully for evidence of the 
heavy timber with which we had been told it was 
clothed. We tried to persuade ourselves and one another 
that we could see it, but while the rough ridges were soft- 
ened by dark vegetation, the trained eye of the experi- 
enced woodsman coldly dashed our anticipations. The 
timber was brush! 
By noon, perched upon our belongings in a correton, 
dust-covered and sun-scorched, we reached the hacienda. 
Such we had thought it. We found it only an entancia or 
stock ranch, situated in the midst of an immense plain, 
which even the prairie dogs had abandoned during recent 
dry years, with no water except from alkali wells and am- 
monia-tainted rain-water ponds, no business except herd- 
ing a few hundred head of goats, cattle and horses; the 
picture of squalor, filth and decay, the very air redolent of 
inaction and sloth. The admimstrador stopped playing 
chess with his storekeeper long enough to read our cre- 
dentials, assign us a room and order dinner. We were 
taken in charge by a fresh young man, who immediately 
brought forth from the treasure of his memory some 
obscene English oaths, and began to furbish them up for 
our benefit. He had traveled, he said. Had worked on 
the railroad awhile. Knew a good deal of English. 
(Plenty, such as it is, thought we). He was a distant 
relative of the old gentleman who owned the place. Had 
been sent to school by him, but didn't like it. Could have 
gone to the United States to study engineering or some- 
thing of the kind, but it was too much like work. Liked 
life on the ranch. Here one sleeps well, one eats well 
(dried goats' meat, evil-smelling curds, black beans half 
cooked, musty tortillas), and when one feels the need of 
amusement he mounts on horseback! And he leered at a 
pair of . slatternly girls who passed the door. Yes, sir, fine 
life. .Tust suited him. 
Here, in an evil moment, it occurred to me to ask if his 
name was so-and-so. At my orders. Well, then, I have a 
note for you, and I produced it. Kight there, in the ex- 
pressive language of Jawgy, "I dropped my watermelon." 
He opened the envelope, and took out two sheets. After 
reading one, which consisted of about two lines, he trotted 
off with the other to the administrador. Then we compre- 
hended the old gentleman's little game. From the effects 
before and after taking, we figured out the contents of the 
two separate documents we had brought to be about as 
follows: 
No. 1. Unsealed. 
To Sr. Don Mangano, 
Administrador de la Hacienda de Concepcifin. 
Very Sir Mine: 
Tlie bearers of the present, Messrs. N. and A . have been sent as 
special representatives of the President of the United States for the 
sol'! purpose of securing- the skin of one of our far-famed beai-s, as 
well as other objects of interest, for the National Museum of that 
country. Please treat them with the consideration due to persons of 
high education, and oblige, Yoxiv servant, F. Ulano 
No. S. Sealed. 
Dear Nephevj; 
These idiots think I am fool enough to believe they are hunting 
those measly little bears. Keep an eye on them. They have prob- 
ably heard there is gold in our mountain. Don't do any more for 
them than you have to, and be sure they pay you well for that. The 
Lord only knows who they are. If you observe anything suspicious, 
throw them out. Yora Uncle. 
Thenceforward we had to deal with a man who was 
under the necessity of devising schemes to bleed us, with- 
out lowering his dignity to the point of hiring us horses, 
selling us feed for them, etc. And as nobody on that 
ranch was in the habit of thinking, except on rare occa- 
sions, it took him a good while. We waited till everybody 
had had the after-dinner siesta. Then the eternal chess 
began. We saw we couldn't get off that night, gave it up, 
and went out to see if we couldn't kick up a jack-rabbit. 
As night came on, we began to plan and fume for a day- 
light start next day. Our mountain was still fifteen miles 
away. Were there any horses? Oh yes, plenty of horses. 
Could we hire some? Oh no, he wouldn't think of charg- 
ing us. Could he lend us a saddle-horse apiece? Well, 
they were all on the range, except those used by the cow- 
boys. When could he get them? Well, rjuien mhe. And 
so on with manana and quien sabe. Could we get burros? 
No, there were none. Well, a cart? Yes, there was a man 
who had a cart. He was sent for, got his tip from the boss, 
and proceeded to rob us. We decided afterward that the 
cart doubtless belonged to the ranch. 
So it went on. We went to bed in a fume, got up in the 
same condition next day, and kept it up. But it did no 
good. Everybody else was tranquilly resting. That was 
one thing they were really skillful at. By main force we 
launched the cart at 10 o'clock, and toward 3 got off our- 
selves. We were mounted on some miserable plugs, and 
were accompanied by a guide, a horse wrangler, a camp 
keeper, a horse feeder, a cartman, an assistant cartman, 
and a cartman's son — all to eat off us if we would let 
them, to get about triple wages, and to render due account 
when they got back. He didn't charge us anything for 
the horses— oh, no! Wouldn't think of such a thing! 
The camp keeper, we found, was our host's confidential 
mmt, and so did duty as spy. The hostler would not take 
the horses to water except when we made him, and his 
assistant, who was to cut and bring them grass to eat, gave 
them so little that before we had been out a week one of 
them could not get up when down, from sheer starvation. 
The guide knew one or two trails through the hills, but 
nothing more. He kept us out of the only place where 
there were any deer, and, like the rest, was an unmitigated 
fraud and nuisance. The only things they could all do 
was to rest and eat. 
The mountains were covered with junipers and other 
chaparral, a few low oaks and cedars in the gulches. They 
were exceedingly dry. The dry leaves in the gullies had 
not been stirred by water for years. There were half a 
dozen or so little black bears stirring about all through the 
range, rustling about for something to eat. We could see 
their tracks here and there, but could not find them, 
though they were evidently up and about day and night. 
We had no trap, but decided to kill a deer for bait, and 
watch it. Neither of us was strong. N. had just had three 
years' soaking in the malaria of southern Mexico, and I 
was but little his better. So the two invalids scratched 
around on those dry and thirsty ridges, wearing them- 
selves, their clothing and their patience to tatters. When 
we came in to camp we foimd no rest, as our faithful 
attendants constantly used up all the available supply. 
And though veteran deer hunters, we made a flat failure. 
We couldn't even get a sight of them. At last we found 
an Indian hunter who agreed to take us wh^r© they were. 
So next day we had meat in camp. We baited the water- 
holes and set a gun. Next morning we found that a small 
bear had climbed above and stolen the bait without dis- 
charging the gun. 
We baited another water-hole and brought our blankets 
to take turns watching and sleeping during the night. 
There was an insignificant little moon, but we were down 
in a gulch and it was dark. It was also cold. N. took first 
watch, and I lay down to sleep. The more I tried, the 
less I slept. I got too warm. Then I got too cold. Then 
I found a rock under the blankets. Then I heard a noise 
and reached for my gun,thinkiugof bears, mountain lions, 
and a lot of things. Finally, just as I began to doze off, N. 
conjured the watcher and proved to me it was time to get 
up and take my turn. He crawled between the blankets 
and promptly absorbed the soporific that I had been at 
pains to accumulate. I braced myself and took in the sit- 
uation. It was dark, and the winds sounded lonesome. I 
thought of our comfortable tent a mile away, and consigned 
all bearsto that place where bad bears go. I had a little dark- 
lantern, and occasionally I slipped back the shutter and 
looked around. Every time a leaf fell or a marauding 
woodrat rolled over a stone I jumped half out of my skin. 
A little spotted skunk tried to steal the bait. He tugged 
and pulled and rattled the pebbles, and kept me in a 
nervous chill. Finally, after he had eaten all he wanted, 
he began to "show off." He chased himself up and down 
the bank. He ran up a log and flirted his tail at me, and 
then back again. _ At last he ran right under the bank I 
was sitting on and began to maneuver around. Disgusted 
and vexed I let drive down at him with a stone. He van- 
ished to parts unknown, but left behind a memory that 
was fresh and lasting. Its fragrance gradually permeated 
N.'s .slumbers, and caused him to dream of Araby the 
blest. I thought N. would understand that inasmuch 
as he had slept four or five hours and I none at all, it was 
the proper thing for me to take another turn, so shortly 
before daylight I woke him up. He failed to take my 
view of the situation, and made unfeeling remarks. That 
day we lay around camp and slept. Asa committee of the 
whole, we decided that if bears were to be had only by night- 
hunting we hadn't lost any. After we had eaten and 
slept till we felt reasonably certain of being able to take 
our satisfaction for the night's adventure in abusing the 
mozos rather than in quarreling with each other, we 
planned another campaign. That night we would set a 
gun and let it do the watching. Next day we would try a 
daylight abush of the water-holes. 
We almost resumed our usual cheerfulness while setting 
that gun. N. gave me some points about tying a gun in a 
clump of bushes, and I invented and applied a back-act- 
ing, wooden trigger, which called forth warm eulogy. 
The little Parker was left, in the full confidence that it 
would prove bad medicine. But no roar disturbed our 
sleep that night. Next morning we were out early. The 
bears had held a regular war-dance around our bait. The 
ground was trampled to powder, the bait pulled down and 
eaten, the string stretched and sawed almost asunder, and 
my stick trigger was broken, it had been hauled at so 
energetically. In fact, after looking over the situation we 
felt somewhat relieved that the bears had not untied and 
carried off the gun itself. The reason no fatalities had 
occurred was simple enough. After I had carefully ad- 
justed the string and its connections to one trigger N. very 
carefully puta cartridge in the other barrel. The several 
miscellaneous kinds of fools we called ourselves and each 
other didn't seem to mend matters at all. 
There were two water-holes, and that day we decided to 
watch them all day. We were convinced that these bears 
were astir practically all the time. So N. took the lower 
and I the upper spring, about half a mile apart in the same 
caiion. I cleared a nice little seat by a big cedar, and 
under an overhanging rock about 40yds. from my spring, 
commanding it and the opposite hillside. I had some 
lunch in one pocket and a magazine in the other, so the 
day wore away pleasantly enough. The jays and wood- 
peckers gathered wild cherries from a stunted tree quite 
near me, and the wind whispered confidentially with the 
cedar boughs over my head. About 3 o'clock, while I was 
serenely investigating the resources and topography of 
South Africa, as set forth by Mr. Bryce, and making note 
of its many similarities with Mexico, I heard the chink of 
a pebble on the hillside facing me. Reaching for my 
.4&-70 Carbine, which stood against the tree, I peeped 
around and saw my first wild bear. He was sliding along 
above the spring, snilling the air in search of another piece 
of venison. He had not the slightest suspicion of my 
presence. But I have long trained myself to shoot when 
game is in sight, and to shoot quickly. The big Weed bul- 
let smashed into the back of his neck, and he collapsed. 
It reminded me of pig shooting as I used to see it on the 
farm. He looked more like a shoat than anything else. 
N. came boiling up the gulch with round, inquiring 
eyes. I said: "Is that measly, insignificant-looking cross 
between a razor-back and a cur the game you have 
brought me into this wilderness to hunt?" His head was 
about as big as all the rest of him. His paws and chops were 
stained with the red juice of tunas and filled with prickers. 
The hair was worn off his rump with sliding down rocky 
hillsides. N. said he was probably a yearling. I am afraid 
his ma didn't know he was out. But none of the tracks 
we saw were much larger than he would have made. It 
is evidently a very small race of bears, whether a new 
species or not cannot yet be determined. Our specimen 
was too immature to serve as a type. So the long suffer- 
ing public is preserved, for a time at least, from U. 
astecal. 
Next day we had to come out, so we tried the set-gim 
again. This time it was N.'s .45-90 Winchester. About 9 
o'clock we heard its cheerful roar, and went to bed with I 
light hearts. But we got no bear. He was severly 
wounded, and we followed the trail of blood for half a mile 
next morning, but had to give it up. 
N. was on his way to Washington, and so did not return ' 
with me. He had my solemn promise beforehand that 
the skins of anything I killed should be his. 1 begged 
the poor boon of a tooth, a claw, or anything that looked 
beary, but not a hair could I get. His chief up in Wash- 
ington was mighty particular, he said. So when 1 
got back home my friends said: "Thanks, awfully, for 
that nice pork you sent. It is so hard to get good pork 
in this country." And if I ever make any remarks about 
my bear, they look knowing and say; "Yes, you and Wil- 
son killed a tiger once, too." AzTW. 
JlESICO, 
