,
and other trees; while the banks abounded with alders and willows.
Those that bore blossom were just opening their bright buds, and the
setting sun cast a rich golden light over all, as though the glory of
the beneficent Creator were shining on His gorgeous handiwork. But that
beautiful wilderness did not blossom and bloom in solitude. It was
tenanted and enjoyed by countless numbers of living creatures. Wherever
the travellers turned their eyes, vast herds of elk and buffaloes were
to be seen, the latter sporting with their young ones on the plains, the
former preferring to browse on the slopes and uplands; and innumerable
birds of all shapes and sizes enlivened the scene with their varied
gyrations, and filled the air with melody.

It seemed, indeed, a species of paradise; but not far from it the
travellers were painfully reminded of its terrestrial nature by the
sight of a wide-spread conflagration, which carried fierce destruction
over the whole plain, and left black ruin behind; and still further on
Mackenzie was robbed of the pleasurable feelings due to the influence of
sweet scenery, by the baleful influence of man in the shape of a chief
of the Beaver Indians with a hunting-party. He tried to push on past
these Indians, but they kept up with the canoe, running along shore, and
when night approached he was compelled to encamp with them. The
consequence was, as he had feared, that these people attempted to
terrify his young Indian interpreters with dreadful accounts of the land
beyond, and succeeded so far that it was with the utmost difficulty that
they could be persuaded to remain with the expedition.

Next night they encamped at a spot where a stream fell into the Peace
River from the north.

"Voila! w'at is dis?" exclaimed Ducette, as he leaped on shore.

"The fut-print of a grizzly bar," said Reuben, stooping to examine and
measure the mark; "an oncommon big 'un, too--full nine inches wide. I
wouldn't like to embrace that bar."

The den, or place where this monster or some of its kindred had spent
the winter, was also found not far-off. It was ten feet deep,
horizontally, five feet high, and six feet wide.

"I wish we could find him," said Lawrence as he kindled the camp-fire.

"Ha! Swiftarrow has found something better," said Mackenzie, as the
Indian strode into camp laden with the tongue, marrow-bones, and other
choice portions of an elk which he had killed a short distance down the
river.