lored ice-water, some
twenty or thirty yards across. Without hesitation Leo plunged in and
waded across, proving the stream to be not much more than knee-deep.
And truth to say, Uncle Dick was proud of his young comrades when,
without a word or a whimper, they unhesitatingly plunged in also and
waded through after their leader. Nothing was said about the incident,
but it was noticeable that Leo seemed more gracious thereafter toward
the young hunters, for pluck is something an Indian always admires.

"Now, Leo," said Uncle Dick, when after a steady march of some time
they had reached the foot of a slide perhaps half a mile or so in
extent, which lay like a big gash of green on the face of the black
mountain slope, "I suppose this is where we make our first hunt."

Leo nodded, and began to feel in his pockets for some cartridges.

"Now never mind about loading up your magazine any more than it is,
Leo," went on the other, "and just pump out the shells from your
rifle. If there's any bear-killing done by this party this afternoon
these boys are going to do it, and you and I will only serve as
backing guns in case of trouble. My gun's loaded, but I know you well
enough, Leo, old man, not to let you load your gun just yet
awhile--you'd be off up the hill if we saw a bear, and you'd have it
killed before any of the others got a chance for a shot. You just hold
your horses for a while, neighbor, and give my boys a chance."

"Me no like," said Leo, rather glumly. "Me heap kill 'um grizzlum."

"Not this evening! These boys hunt 'um grizzlum this evening, Leo.
They've come a long way, and they have to begin sometime. You live in
here, and can kill plenty of bear any time you like. Besides, if any
one of these boys kills a bear this afternoon I'm going to give you
twenty dollars--that'll be about as good as though you killed one
yourself and got nothing but your wages, won't it, Leo?"

Leo broke out into a broad smile. "All right," said he. "But please,
when you come on bear, let me load gun."

"Certainly," said Uncle Dick. "I'm not going to ask any man to stand
in front of a grizzly with an empty rifle. But I'm not going to let
you shoot until the time comes, believe me."

The boys found it right cold sitting about in this high mountain air
with their clothing still wet from their fording of the stream. They
could see on ahead of them the flattened valley of the creek which
they had ascended, and Leo promised that perhap