Two interesting episodes of the work of the year 
in the Jemez region are recorded in letters to Mrs. Holmes: 
<5, THE BEAR STORY 
JEMEZ MOUNTAINS » COLORADO, 1887 
For a long way I rode up over an ancient village site, 
then up sharp ridges among the timber until I came to a flat- 
tish timbered shelf that lies along the base of the final as- 
cent. Here at the elevation of about 1000 feet above camp I 
found many small ruins and some pottery. The final step of the 
plateau consists first of a steep slope up which I had to lead 
my mule zig-zagging back and forth over the rocks and slides. 
This slope ends against the base of the capping cliff which is 
in the main nearly vertical and from 100 to 300 feet high. It 
extends so for many miles. I hitched my mule on a little shelf 
at the base of this cliff and began to look for a place reduced 
or broken down sufficiently to let me climb it. 
As I skirted the base of the cliff to the right I hap- 
pened to look down the steep slope below and there, about 20 
feet below, was a grizzly bear. He was nosing along and did 
not see me, but he was going right toward my mule and I concluded 
£ 
very quickly that that would not &o since by going 20 feet further 
he would give my mule such a fright that he would break loose 
and rush down the mountain. I had no gun or pistol so I shouted 
n Boo,hoo, tT at the bear. He glanced up quickly and saw me, and 
made a spring away from me, facing down the steep slope. At 
this moment I pushed off a big stone and sent it after him, flying. 
