The National tribune., 1901-04-25
ROUGH RIDING.


sible. glancing furtively over our shoulders
occasionally to see that the grizzly was
not coming after Us.
We had moved on rapidly and silently
for some time before either Of us yentured
to speak. Finally I suggested:
Dave, that was a little bigger bear
than we wanted. anyway. Hadn't we
better hunt for one size or so smallerw
Il hain't lost no bars" gruffly answered
Dave, nearly out Of breath trying to keep
up with me.
Hadn't we better get out into open
ground, where we can get a glimpse Of
the train? We might lose our way"
Yes, les strike for that hill over yon-
der. From the top of that We can see
the wagons, l reckon"
I'm powerful hungry" said. after a
pause. Hadn't we better kill a Sage-hen
or rabbit and stop and cook it?'
"Aint a bit hungry. Lost my appetite,
somehow" said Dave.
"A big bear" remarked, ''like tho one
that made the tracks we saw must be
very old and tough, and not very good eat
ing, | should judge"
'.Bet yer boots! Amt fitten to eat"
Fact is" l continued. Il don't nanker
after bear meat like did. l don't believe
it's as good as they say it is. Especially
when fellow has to hunt 'em and kill
'em himself. | think hereafter sow-belly
and hardtack will be rich enough for my
blood"
me, too" said Dave; ''drat the bars!
l never did take much stock in 'em."
To be candid, l had had all the bear
hunting l wanted just then; but to make
Dave think l wanted to continue the sport
l said:
when we get on top of that hill, IL we
find the train isn't too far ahead of US,
hadn't we better take another round
through the brush off yonder on that
branch and see if we can't scare up a
small-sized bear, that we could handler
Tell you, l amt lost no bars. and
mcre'n that you'll find it'll take us till
plumb dark now to catch up with the COM
mand."
And so it proved. In our anxiety to find
bear we had neglected to watch the
course of the train of wagons along the
road, and lay our course parallel to it, but
had been going, most of the time, directly
away from the road. When we reached
the top of the hill we could plainly see
the line of white-cOvered wagons away off
to the northwest of us many miles.
So we concluded it would be all we
wanted to do to reach camp by night, and
striking a bee-line for the head of the col
umn we trudged on.
At this safe distance as we tramped
along the ludicrous phase of our hunt be-
gan to dawn upon US, as we thought how
the boys would joke and bore US about our
bear hunt, if they ever found out the par
ticulars. So 1 proposed:
Say, Dave, il you wont give this away
I'm sure l won't"
Its whackp' said he; "III never tell
it, So we made up nice story of see
ing several bears, and wounding sOme but
they all got away, and having wandered
so far from the command we had very re-
luctantly been compelled to relinquish the
hunt and return.
raachaI hr,r,
CRY, and, oh, so tired, that we could hardly
drag one foot after the other. But we
determined that no one should know how
badly used up we were; so we called
halt, and after little rest struck lively
gait, after quite an effort, and walked
brayely into camp.
As we entered the ground on which our
company horses were staked out we met
the Captain, walking about, superintend-
ing the grooming and feeding. My feet
and legs were hurting terribly, and Dave
reported, in a whisper, that he also was
a stiff upper-lip, and hold out for a few
minutes longer. We walked nimbly up
to the Captain, and, saluting him, report
ed:
Got back to camp, sir"
mo gameE" asked the Captain in ap-
pareat surprise.
Nothing worth speaking of, sir" I an
swered.
well, your tramp don't seem to have
hurt you. Go and report to Serg't Mark
wood. I think L heard him read off both
your names for guard tonight"
Great snakes! This is what a fellow
gets for deception, I thought. But we
went manfully up to the Sergeant and re-
ported for duty; then, when informed that
we were detailed for guard, went to the
cook tent and filed ourselves up with
hardtack, coffee, etc, the cook ironically
remarking that we ate heartily for men
who had feasted on bear meat all day.
Well, we stood our guard somehow, and
when it finally leaked out in the company
what a scare We had taken at a bears
tracks it was long time before we heard
the last of it..
One day, some time afterwards, I re-
marked to Dave:
This bear hunting aint so much fun
as it's represented. The hunting would
be good sport if the blamed brutes wern't
so easily found" Dave shook his head
sorrowfully as he answered:
Il aint lost no bars"
TO be continued.)