The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-07-25

: find that the tongue and eyes onl
of the bears had been devoured
a little later and we should havI
had the handsome skins pecke'
and torn to rags, and all chanc'
of steaks and bears paws gone
On measuring the wings of the
large bird from tip to tip, 1 founC
the length exceeded eleven feet
and concluded it to be a condor
it was evidently the mate of the
Watcher" as Fritz called the
first we saw.
To work we now went on the
bears, and no slight affair we
found it to skin and cut them up
but by dint of perseverance, we
at last succeeded in our ob$sct.
Determining to smoke the meat
on the spot, we u magnificent
hams, and took off the rest Of
the meat in slices after the man.
ner of the buccaneers in the West
indies, preserving the paws en-
tire to be cooked as a delicacy,
and obtaining from the two bears
together a prodibious supply of
lard, which my wife gladly under
took to melt and prepare for
keeping.
The bones and offal we drew
to some distance with the help
of our cattle, and made the birds
of the air most welcome to feast
upon it. This, with the assistance
of ala sorts of insects, they did
so e%ffectually that before we left
the place the skulls were picked
perfectly clean, the sun had dried
them, and they were ready for
us to carry off to our
The skins had to be very care
fully scraped, washed, sailed,
cleansed with ashes, and dried;
which occupied fully two days.
l was lamenting our distance
from the rascusara tree, the
leaves of which had favored our
roast peccary so nicely, when l
observed among the brushwood
which the boys had brought from
the thickets around US, a climbing
plant, whose leaves had a very
strong smell; the stem resembled
a vine, and the fruit grew in clus-
tiers like currants. Some we're red,
and some of a green color, which
l supposed to denote various de-
grees Of ripeness. They were
hard, and the outer skin was quite
thin.
l recognized in this the pepper
a discovery particularly
agreeable at this moment.
The boys soon gathered a large
supply; the red berries were soak
ed in salt and water for several
days, then washed and rubbed,
and finally, becoming perfectly
were dried in the sun. The
treatment of the green berries
simple; they were merely ex-
posed to the suns heat for a day
or two, and then stored: in this
way we obtained enough, both of
black and white pepper, to last
us a very long time.
l took also a number of young
that we might have pep
per growing at Rockburg and our
various settlements. Some roots
Of another plant were also taken,
from the pods, appeared to
be a kind of bean.
We were glad of this occupa-
ton during the tedious business
Of smoking the bears meat, and
ourselves of the leisure
time by also preparing for stuff
the condor and the turkey
buzzard, urubu or black vulture-
for l could not determine to which
the smaller bird belonged.
The four boys at length became
so weary of inaction, that | de-
.ermined to let them make an ex-
cursion alone on the Savannah.
Three of them received this per-
mission with eager delight, but
Ernest said he would prefer to
'emain with us; to which, as the
expedition was to be entirely one
If pleasure, / could make no OBJ
lection.
Little Franz, on the other hand,
whom / would willingly have kept
with us, was wild to go with his
1rothers, and l was obliged to
consent, as | had made the pro-
oosal open to all, and could not
back.
In the highest spirits they ran
o bring their steeds (as we were
ain to call the cattle they rode)
their pasturage at a short
distance. Speedily were they sad
fled, bridled, and mounted-the
.hree lads were ready to be off.
1t was my wish that our SONS
cultivate a habit of bold
Independence, for we'll | knew
hat it might be the will of God
o deprive them easily of their
)arents; when, without an enter
spirit of self reliance, {
heir position would be truly mis- {
My gallant Fritz possessed this [
lesirable quality in no small de-
rec, and to him / committed the {
are Of his young brothers, charg- E
ng them to look up to and obey /