d, but from t'other grizzly you rescooed
yurself; an', young fellur, you must a fit a putty consid'able bout
afore the vamint knocked under. The way you hev gin him the bowie ur a
caution to snakes, I reck'n."

"What! were there two bears?"

"Look thur! thur's a kupple, ain't thur?"

The trapper pointed in the direction of the fire. Sure enough, the
carcasses of _two_ bears lay upon the ground, both skinned, and
partially cut up!

"I fought with only one."

"An thet wur enuf at a time, an a leetle more, I reck'n. 'Tain't many
as lives to wag thur jaws arter a stan-up tussle wi' a grizzly. Wagh!
how you must have fit, to a rubbed out thet bar!"

"I _killed_ the bear, then?"

"Thet you sartintly did, young fellur. When Bill an me kim on the
groun, the bar wur as dead as pickled pork. We thort yur case wa'nt any
better. Thur you lay a-huggin the bar, an the bar a-huggin you, as ef
both on yur hed gone to sleep in a sort o' friendly way, like the
babbies in the wood, exceptin thet you wa'nt kivered wi' leaves. But
thur wur yur claret a kiverin the paraira for yurds round. Thur wa'nt
as much blood in you as wud a gin a leech his breakfist."

"The other bear?"

"She kum arterwards out o' the gully. Bill, he wur gone to look arter
the white hoss. I wur sittin aside you, jest hyur, when I seed the
vamint's snout pokin up. I knowd it wur the she-bar a-comin to see
where ole Eph had strayed to. So I tuk up Targuts, an plummed the
critter in the eye, an thet wur the eend o' _her_ trampin.

"Now, lookee hyur, young fellur! I ain't no doctur, neyther's Bill, but
I knows enough about wownds to be sartint thet you must lay still, an
stop talkin. Yur mighty bad scratched, I tell ye, but yur not
dangerous, only you've got no blood in yur body, an you must wait till
it gathers agin. Take another suck out o' the gourd. Thur now, come,
Billee! leave 'im alone. Le's go an hev a fresh toothfull o' bar-meat."

And so saying, the leathery figure moved off in the direction of the
fire, followed by his younger companion.

Although I was anxious to have a further explanation about the other
points that puzzled me--about the steed, the trappers' own presence,
their knowledge of my wild hunt, and its antecedents--I knew it would be
useless to question Old Rube any further after what he had said; I was
compelled, therefore, to follow his advice, and remain quiet.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

VOWS OF VENGEANCE.

I s