or a bar-claw collar.
Ver goot. Vell, de chance turn up at last--von grizzly bar do appear.
Who do shot 'im? Vy, Ian, certaintly. Mais, it is pity he am so
'bominibly bad shot!"

Victor, being an unselfish fellow, at once agreed to this; hence his
earnest advice that Ian should take his gun and go in and win. But Ian
shook his head.

"My dear boy," he said, with a sigh, "it's of no use my attempting to
shoot a bear, or anything else. I don't know what can be wrong with my
vision, I can see as clear and as far as the best of you, and I'm not
bad, you'll allow, at following up a trail over hard ground; but when it
comes to squinting along the barrel of a gun I'm worse than useless.
It's my belief that if I took aim at a haystack at thirty yards I'd miss
it. No, Vic, I must give up the idea of shooting altogether."

"What! have you forgotten the saying, `Faint heart never won fair
lady?'" exclaimed Victor, in surprise.

"Nay, lad, my memory is not so short as that, neither is my heart as
faint as you seem to think it. I do intend to go in and win, but I
shall do it after a fashion of my own, Vic."

Rollin, who came up at the moment and flung a bundle of sticks on the
fire, demanded to know what "vas the vashion" referred to.

"That I won't tell you at present, boys," said Ian; "but, if you have
any regard for me, you'll make me a solemn promise not in any way to
interfere with me or my plans unless you see me in actual and imminent
danger of losing my life."

"Jus' so," said Rollin, with a nod, "ye vill not step in to de reskoo
till you is at de very last gasp."

Having obtained the requisite promise, Ian set off with his comrades to
examine the bear's track. There could be but one opinion as to the size
of the grizzly which had made it. As Victor had said, it was enormous,
and showed that the animal had wandered about hither and thither, as if
it had been of an undecided temperament. Moreover the track was quite
fresh.

Of course there was much eager conversation about it among the friends;
carried on in subdued tones and whispers, as if they feared that the
bear might be listening in a neighbouring bush. After discussing the
subject in every point of view, and examining the tracks in every light,
they returned to the camp, at Victor's suggestion, to talk it over more
fully, and make preparations for the hunt. Ian, however, cut short
their deliberations by reminding his comrades of their promise, an