m, but there
weren't stimmilants enough in the country to raise my spirits that
night. I put all the plunder that I could lift up in the cock-loft,
and the rest I left sitting around.

"I don't exactly know where you fellers are going to sleep,' says I,
trying to be sourcastic. 'Pity you didn't order a folding-bed, Ag.'

"'I did,' says he.

"'A folding-bed?' I repeats, not believing my ears.

"'And a piano,' says he. 'What is home without a piano? Answer: It's
a place that can't hold the forte--dam good joke--keno--go up to the
head, Jones.'

"'Well,' says I, after some other things, 'who's going to pay for all
this?'

"'God knows!' says he, waving his hand again. 'Good-night!' and with
that he fell down between a new bureau and a patent portable
blacksmith's forge, and putting his head on a concertina, went sound
asleep.

"I couldn't follow suit for some time; it's one thing to come home full
of budge and animal spirits yourself, and it's quite different to have
your pardner work it on you. At last, however, I concluded it would be
all the same the next century, and turned in, but I was so rattled that
I forgot the bears, and didn't lock up with the usual care.

"It must have been about two in the morning when I woke all in a
tremble. I had the feeling that things were away off, but I couldn't
place what was the matter, until I looked at the square of moonlight on
the floor that came through the window, and I was near to screech like
a tomcat, for there was a monstrous black shadow bobbing back and forth
in the patch of light. I drew on my bank for all the sand I had and
raised my eyes. My heart fairly knocked my ribs loose. Nicely framed
in the window was the head of a grizzly, and I'll take my oath it
wasn't over a size smaller than a beer-barrel!

"'Now,' thinks I, 'if I can only get that gun before he sees me, and if
the cussed thing will only do the right thing by me this once!'

"So out I steps, and the first rattle out of the box I stumbled on a
few dozen of the purchases Ag had brought home, and down them and me
came like an earthquake. It scart the bear so he drew back; no use
trying to work a sneak now. I jumped for the holster, unlimbered, and
turned the gun loose for general results. I guess every load went off,
from the noise, and she flew out of my hand and vanished behind me.
The place was full of smoke and the plunder that was scattered around;
you could neither see nor walk, a