X 
THE BEAR 
355 
Bill, who was a splendid young fellow, and 
Gaylord* 
Although I have travelled for very many years 
through some of the roughest portions of the world, 
I have always had a considerable following, and I 
confess to disliking so small a party. Including 
my wife, we were only six persons, and it was im¬ 
possible to consume the flesh of the animals killed. 
I cannot shoot to waste; therefore upon many 
occasions I declined to take the shots, and thus 
lost numerous opportunities of collecting splendid 
heads ; this destroyed much of the pleasure which I 
had anticipated. There were no Indians, as they 
are confined to their reservations; therefore it was 
almost criminal to destroy wantonly a number of 
splendid beasts, which would rot upon the ground 
and be absolutely wasted. Several parties of Eng¬ 
lishmen had not been so merciful; therefore the 
Americans had no scruples, and commenced an 
onslaught, general and indiscriminate, shooting all 
animals, without distinction of age or sex, merely 
for 'the value of the skins ; the carcases of mag¬ 
nificent fat deer were left to putrefy, or to become 
the food of the over-satiated bears, which them¬ 
selves fell victims in their turn. 
This was the slaughter in which Bob Stewart 
and Big Bill were engaged in partnership. They 
never shot in company, but each started upon 
his independent course at 8 or 9 o’clock a.m., 
after having employed themselves since daylight in 
pegging out the skins to dry, that had been shot on 
