"
The old hunter left me presently, and went outside. I waited awhile for
him, but as he did not return I lay down upon the bearskins and dropped to
sleep. It seemed I had hardly closed my eyes when I felt a hand on my arm
and heard a voice.
"Wake up, youngster. Thar's two old bears an' a cub been foolin' with one
of my traps."
In a flash I was wide awake.
"Let's see your gun. Humph! pretty small--38 caliber, ain't it? Wal, it'll
do the work if you hold straight. Can you shoot?"
"Fairly well."
He took his heavy Winchester, and threw a coil of thin rope over his
shoulder.
"Come on. Stay close to me, an' keep your eyes peeled."
XII. BEARS
The old hunter walked so swiftly that I had to run to keep up with him. The
trail led up the creek, now on one side, again on the other, and I was
constantly skipping from stone to stone. The grassy slopes grew fewer, and
finally gave way altogether to cracked cliffs and weathered rocks. A fringe
of pine-trees leaned over the top with here and there a blasted spear
standing out white.
"I had my trap set up thet draw," said Hiram Bent, as he pointed toward an
intersecting canyon. "Just before I waked you I was comin' along here, an'
I heered an all-fired racket up thar, an' so I watched. Soon three black
bears come paddlin' down, an' the biggest was draggin' the trap with the
chain an' log.
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