As we were now approaching the regions where the common fallow deer
ceased to be met with, and where its place is supplied by two other
species, these last became the subject of our talk. The species
referred to are the "black-tails," and "long-tails" (_Cervus macrotis_
and _leucurus_).
Ike and Redwood were well acquainted with both kinds, as they had often
trapped beaver in the countries where these deer are found; and they
gave us a very good account of the habits of these animals, which showed
that both species were in many respects similar to the _Cervus
Virginianus_. Their form, however, as well as their size, colour, and
markings, leave no doubt of their being specifically distinct not only
from the latter, but from each other. Indeed, there are two varieties
of the black-tails, differing in some respects, although both have the
dark hair upon the tail, and the long ears, which so much distinguish
them from other deer. The great length of their ears gives to their
heads something of a "mulish" look--hence they are often known among the
trappers by the name of "mule deer." Ike and Redwood spoke of them by
this name, although they also knew them as "black-tails," and this last
is the designation most generally used. They receive it on account of
the colour of the hair upon the upper side of their tail-tips, which is
of a jetty blackness, and is very full and conspicuous.
The two species have been often confounded with each other, though in
many respects they are totally unlike. The black-tails are larger,
their legs shorter and their bodies more "chunky," and altogether of
stouter build. In running, they bound with all their feet raised at
once; while those of the long-tailed species run more like the common
fallow deer--by trotting a few steps, then giving a bound, and trotting
as before.
The ears of the black-tails stand up full half the height of their
antlers, and their hair, of a reddish-brown colour, is coarser than the
hair of the _Cervus Virginianus_, and more like the coat of the elk
(_Cervus Canadensis_). Their hoofs, too, are shorter and wider, and in
this respect there is also a similarity to the elk. The flesh of the
black-tails is inferior to that of the fallow deer, while the
long-tailed kind produces a venison very similar to the latter.
Both species inhabit woodlands occasionally, but their favourite
_habitat_ is the prairie, or that species of undulating country where
prairie and forest alternate, forming a succession of groves and
openings. Both are found only in the western half of the continent--
that is, in the wild regions extending from the Mississippi to the
Pacific. In longitude, as far east as the Mississippi, they are rarely
seen; but as you travel westward, either approaching the Rocky
Mountains, or beyond these to the shores of the Pacific, they are the
common deer of the country. The black-tailed kind is more southern in
its range. It is found in the Californias, and the valleys of the Rocky
Mountains, as far south as Texas; while to the north it is met with in
Oregon, and on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, as high as the
fifty-fourth parallel. The long-tailed species is the most common deer
of Oregon and the Columbia River, and its range also extends east of the
Rocky Mountains, though not so far as the longitude of the Mississippi.
The hunter-naturalist, who had some years before made a journey to
Oregon, and of course had become well acquainted with the habits of the
_Cervus leucurus_, gave us a full account of them, and related a
stirring adventure that had befallen him while hunting "long-tails" upon
the Columbia.
"The long-tailed deer," began he, "is one of the smallest of the deer
kind. Its weight rarely exceeds 100 pounds. It resembles in form and
habits the common fallow deer, the chief distinction being the tail,
which is a very conspicuous object. This appendage is often found to
measure eighteen inches in length!
"While running, the tail is held erect, and kept constantly switching
from side to side, so as to produce a singular and somewhat ludicrous
effect upon the mind of the spectator.
"The gait of this animal is also peculiar. It first takes two ambling
steps that resemble a trot, after these it makes a long bound, which
carries it about twice the distance of the steps, and then it trots
again. No matter how closely pursued, it never alters this mode of
progression.
"Like the fallow deer, it produces spotted fawns, which are brought
forth in the spring, and change their colour to that of the deer itself
in the first winter. About the month of November they gather into
herds, and remain together until April, when they separate, the females
secreting themselves to bring forth their young.
"The long-tailed deer is often found in wooded countries; though its
favourite haunts are not amid the heavy timber of the great forests, but
in the park-like openings that occur in many parts of the Rocky Mountain
valleys.
"Sometimes whole tracts of country are met with in these regions, whose
surface exhibits a pleasing variety of woodland and prairie; sloping
hills appear with coppices upon their crests and along their sides.
Among these natural groves may be seen troops of the long-tailed deer,
browsing along the declivities of the hills, and, by their elegant
attitudes and graceful movements, adding to the beauty of the landscape.
"Some years ago I had an opportunity of hunting the long-tailed, deer.
I was on my way across the Rocky Mountains to Fort Vancouver, when
circumstances rendered it necessary that I should stop for some days at
a small trading-post on one of the branches of the Columbia. I was, in
fact, detained, waiting for a party of fur-traders with whom I was to
travel, and who required some time to get their packs in readiness.
"The trading-post was a small place, with miserable accommodations,
having scarcely room enough in its two or three wretched log-cabins to
lodge half the company that happened at the time to claim its
hospitality. As my business was simply to wait for my travelling
companions, I was of course _ennuye_ almost to death in such a place.
There was nothing to be seen around but packs of beaver, otter, mink,
fox, and bear skins; and nothing to be heard but the incessant
chattering of Canadian voyageurs, in their mixed jargon of French,
English, and Indian. To make matters still more unpleasant, there was
very little to eat, and nothing to drink but the clear water of the
little mountain-stream upon which the fort was built.
"The surrounding country, however, was beautiful; and the lovely
landscapes that on every side met the eye almost compensated for the
discomforts of the post. The surface of the country was what is termed
rolling--gentle undulations here and there rising into dome-shaped hills
of low elevation. These were crowned with copses of shrubby trees,
principally of the wild filbert or hazel (_corylus_), with several
species of _rosa_ and raspberry (rubus), and bushes of the june-berry
(_amelanchier_), with their clusters of purplish-red fruit. The
openings between were covered with a sward of short gramma grass, and
the whole landscape presented the appearance of a cultivated park; so
that one involuntarily looked along the undulating outlines of the hills
for some noble mansion or lordly castle.
"It is just in such situations that the fallow deer delights to dwell;
and these are the favourite haunts of its near congeners, the
long-tails. I had ascertained this from the people at the post; and the
fact that fresh venison formed our staple and daily food was proof
sufficient that some species of deer was to be found in the
neighbourhood. I was not long, therefore, after my arrival, in putting
myself in train for a hunt.
"Unfortunately, the gentlemen of the company were too busy to go along
with me; so also were the numerous _engages_; and I set out, taking only
my servant, a _bois brule_, or half-breed, who happened, however, to be
a good guide for such an expedition, as well as a first-rate hunter.
"Setting out, we kept down the stream for some distance, walking along
its bank. We saw numerous deer-tracks in the mud, where the animals had
gone to and from the water. These tracks were almost fresh, and many of
them, as my servant averred, must have been made the previous night by
the animals coming to drink--a common habit with them, especially in hot
weather.
"But, strange to say, we walked a mile or more without getting a glimpse
of a single deer, or any other sort of animal. I was becoming
discouraged, when my man proposed that we should leave the stream, and
proceed back among the hills. The deer, he believed, would be found
there.
"This was resolved upon; and we accordingly struck out for the high
ground. We soon climbed up from the river bottom, and threaded our way
amidst the fragrant shrubbery of amelanchiers and wild-roses, cautiously
scrutinising every new vista that opened before us.
"We had not gone far before we caught sight of several deer; we could
also hear them at intervals, behind the copses that surrounded us, the
males uttering a strange whistling sound, similar to that produced by
blowing into the barrel of a gun, while this was occasionally replied to
by the goat-like bleat of the females.
"Strange to say, however, they were all very shy, and notwithstanding
much cautious crouching and creeping among the bushes, we wandered about
for nearly two-thirds of the day without getting a shot at any of them.
"What had made them so wary we could not at the time, tell, but we
afterwards learned that a large party of Flathead Indians had gone over
the ground only a few days before, and had put the deer through a three
days chase, from which they had not yet recovered. Indeed, we saw
Indian `sign' all along the route, and at one place came upon the head
and horns of a fine buck, which, from some fancy or other of the hunter,
had been left suspended from the branch of a tree, and had thus escaped
being stripped by the wolves.
"At sight of this trophy, my companion appeared to be in ecstasies. I
could not understand what there was in a worthless set of antlers to
produce such joyful emotions; but as Blue Dick--such was the
_soubriquet_ of my servant--was not much given to idle exhibitions of
feeling, I knew there must be something in it.
"`Now, master,' said he, addressing me, `if I had something else, I
could promise you a shot at the long-tails, shy as they are.'
"`Something else! What do you want?' I inquired.
"`Something that ought to grow about yar, else I'm mightily mistaken in
the sign. Let me try down yonder,'--and Dick pointed to a piece of low
swampy ground that lay to one side of our course.
"I assented, and followed him to the place.
"We had hardly reached the border of the wet ground, when an exclamation
from my companion told me that the `something' he wanted was in sight.
"`Yonder, master; the very weed: see yonder.'
"Dick pointed to a tall herbaceous plant that grew near the edge of the
swamp. Its stem was fully eight feet in height, with large lobed
leaves, and a wide-spreading umbel of pretty white flowers. I knew the
plant well. It was that which is known in some places as master-wort,
but more commonly by the name of cow parsnip. Its botanical name is
_Heracleum lanatum_. I knew that its roots possessed stimulant and
carminative properties; but that the plant had anything to do with
deer-hunting, I was ignorant.
"Dick, however, was better acquainted with its uses in that respect; and
his hunter-craft soon manifested itself.
"Drawing his knife from its sheath, he cut one of the joints from the
stem of the heracleum, about six inches in length. This he commenced
fashioning somewhat after the manner of a penny-trumpet.
"In a few minutes he had whittled it to the proper form and dimensions,
after which he put up his knife, and applying the pipe to his lips, blew
into it. The sound produced was so exactly like that which I had
already heard to proceed from the deer, that I was startled by the
resemblance.
"Not having followed his manoeuvres, I fancied for a moment that we had
got into close proximity with one of the long-tails. My companion
laughed, as he pointed triumphantly to his new made `call.'
"`Now, master,' said he, `we'll soon "rub out" one of the long-tail
bucks.'
"So saying, he took up the antlers, and desired me to follow him.
"We proceeded as before, walking quickly but cautiously among the
thickets, and around their edges. We had gone only a few hundred paces
farther, when the hollow whistle of a buck sounded in our ears.
"`Now,' muttered Dick, `we have him. Squat down, master, under the
bush--so.'
"I did as desired, hiding myself under the leafy branches of the wild
rose-trees. My companion cowered down beside me in such an attitude
that he himself was concealed, while the buck's head and antlers were
held above the foliage, and visible from several points where the ground
was open.
"As soon as we were fairly placed, Dick applied the call to his lips,
and blew his mimic note several times in succession. We heard what
appeared to be an echo, but it was the response of a rival; and shortly
after we could distinguish a hoof-stroke upon the dry turf, as if some
animal was bounding towards us.
"Presently appeared a fine buck, at an opening between two copses, about
one hundred paces from the spot where we lay. It had halted, thrown
back upon its flanks until its haunches almost touched the ground, while
its full large eye glanced over the opening, as if searching for some
object.
"At this moment Dick applied the reed to his lips, at the same time
moving the horns backward and forward, in imitation of a buck moving his
head in a threatening manner.
"The stranger now perceived what appeared to him the branching horns of
a rival, hearing, at the same time, the well-known challenge. This was
not to be borne, and rising erect on all-fours, with his brow-antlers
set forward, he accepted the challenge, and came bounding forward.
"At the distance of twenty paces or so, be again baited, as if still
uncertain of the character of his enemy; but that halt was fatal to him,
for by Dick's directions I had made ready my rifle, and taking sight at
his breast, I pulled trigger. The result was as my companion had
predicted, and the buck was `rubbed out.'
"After skinning our game, and hanging the meat out of reach of the
barking wolves, we proceeded as before; and soon after another buck was
slain in a manner very similar to that described.
"This ended our day's hunt, as it was late before Dick had bethought him
of the decoy; and taking the best parts of both the long-tails upon our
shoulders, we trudged homeward to the post.
"Part of our road, as we returned, lay along the stream, and we saw
several deer approaching the water, but, cumbered as we were, we failed
in getting a shot. An idea, however, was suggested to my companion that
promised us plenty of both sport and venison for the next hunt--which
was to take place by night.
"This idea he communicated to me for my approval. I readily gave my
consent, as I saw in the proposal the chances of enjoying a very rare
sport. That sport was to be a fire-hunt; but not as usually practised
among backwoodsmen, by carrying a torch through the woods. Our torch
was to float upon the water, while we were snugly seated beside it; in
other words, we would carry our torch in a canoe, and, floating down
stream, would shoot the deer that happened to be upon the banks drinking
or cooling their hoofs in the water. I had heard of the plan, but had
never practised it, although I was desirous of so doing. Dick had often
killed deer in this way, and therefore knew all about it. It was
agreed, then, that upon the following night we should try the
experiment.
"During the next day, Dick and I proceeded in our preparations without
saying anything to any one. It was our design to keep our night-hunt a
secret, lest we might be unsuccessful, and get laughed at for our pains.
On the other hand, should we succeed in killing a goodly number of
long-tails, it would be time enough to let it be known how we had
managed matters.
"We had little difficulty in keeping our designs to ourselves. Every
one was busy with his own affairs, and took no heed of our manoeuvres.
"Our chief difficulty lay in procuring a boat; but for the consideration
of a few loads of powder, we at length borrowed an old canoe that
belonged to one of the Flathead Indians--a sort of hanger-on of the
post.
"This craft was simply a log of the cotton-wood, rudely hollowed out by
means of an axe, and slightly rounded at the ends to produce the
canoe-shape. It was that species of water craft popularly known
throughout Western America as a `dug-out,' a phrase which explains
itself. It was both old and ricketty, but after a short inspection,
Blue Dick declared it would do `fust-rate.'
"Our next move was to prepare our torch. For this we had to make an
excursion to the neighbouring hills, where we found the very material we
wanted--the dry knots of the pitch-pine-tree.
"A large segment of birch-bark was then sought for and obtained, and our
implements were complete.
"At twilight all was ready, and stepping into our dug-out, we paddled
silently down stream.
"As soon as we had got out of the neighbourhood of the post, we lighted
our torch. This was placed in a large frying-pan out upon the bow, and
was in reality rather a fire of pine-knots than a torch. It blazed up
brightly, throwing a glare over the surface of the stream, and
reflecting in red light every object upon both banks. We, on the other
hand, were completely hidden from view by means of the birch-bark
screen, which stood up between us and the torch.
"As soon as we were fairly under way, I yielded up the paddle to Dick,
who now assigned to himself the double office of guiding the dug-out and
keeping the torch trimmed. I was to look to the shooting; so, placing
my trusty rifle across my thighs, I sat alternately scanning both banks
as we glided along.
"I shall never forget the romantic effect which was produced upon my
mind during that wild excursion. The scenery of the river upon which we
had launched our craft was at all times of a picturesque character:
under the blaze of the pine-wood--its trees and rocks tinted with a
reddish hue, while the rippling flood below ran like molten gold--the
effect was heightened to a degree of sublimity which could not have
failed to impress the dullest imagination. It was the autumn season,
too, and the foliage, which had not yet commenced falling, had assumed
those rich varied tints so characteristic of the American _sylva_--
various hues of green and golden, and yellow and deep red were exhibited
upon the luxuriant frondage that lined the banks of the stream, and here
and there drooped like embroidered curtains down to the water's edge.
It was a scene of that wild beauty, that picturesque sublimity, which
carries one to the contemplation of its Creator.
"`Yonder!' muttered a voice, that roused me from my reverie. It was
Dick who spoke; and in the dark shadow of the birch-bark I could see one
of his arms extended, and pointing to the right bank.
"My eyes followed the direction indicated; they soon rested upon two
small objects, that from the darker background of the foliage appeared
bright and luminous. These objects were round, and close to each other;
and at a glance I knew them to be the eyes of some animal, reflecting
the light of our torch.
"My companion whispered me that they were the eyes of a deer. I took
sight with my rifle, aiming as nearly as I could midway between the
luminous spots. I pulled trigger, and my true piece cracked like a
whip.
"The report was not loud enough to drown the noises that came back from
the shore. There was a rustling of leaves, followed by a plunge, as of
some body felling in the water.
"Dick turned the head of the dug-out, and paddled her up to the bank.
The torch, blazing brightly, lit up the scene ahead of us, and our eyes
were gratified by the sight of a fine buck, that had fallen dead into
the river. He was about being drawn into the eddy of the current, but
Dick prevented this, and, seizing him by the antlers, soon deposited him
safely in the bottom of the dug-out.
"Our craft was once more headed down stream, and we scrutinised every
winding of the banks in search of another pair of gleaming eyes. In
less than half an hour these appeared, and we succeeded in killing a
second long-tail--a doe--and dragged her also into the boat.
"Shortly after, a third was knocked over, which we found standing out in
the river upon a small point of sand. This proved to be a young
spike-buck, his horns not having as yet branched off into antlers.
"About a quarter of a mile farther down, a fourth, deer was shot at, and
missed, the dug-out having grazed suddenly against a rock just as I was
pulling trigger, thus rendering my aim unsteady.
"I need hardly say that this sport was extremely exciting; and we had
got many miles from the post, without thinking either of the distance or
the fact that we should be under the disagreeable necessity of paddling
the old Flathead's canoe every inch of the way back again. Down stream
it was all plain sailing; and Dick's duty was light enough, as it
consisted merely in keeping the dug-out head foremost in the middle of
the river. The current ran at the rate of three miles an hour, and
therefore drifted us along with sufficient rapidity.
"The first thing that suggested a return to either of us, was the fact
that our pine-knots had run out: Dick had just piled the last of them in
the frying-pan.
"At this moment, a noise sounded in our ears that caused us some
feelings of alarm: it was the noise of falling water. It was not new to
us, for, since leaving the post, we had passed the mouths of several
small streams that debouched into the one upon which we were, in most
cases over a jumble of rocks, thus forming a series of noisy rapids.
But that which we now heard was directly ahead of us, and must, thought
we, be a rapid or fall of the stream itself; moreover, it sounded louder
than any we had hitherto passed.
"We lost little time in conjectures. The first impulse of my companion,
upon catching the sound, was to stop the progress of the dug-out, which
in a few seconds he succeeded in doing; but by this time our torch had
shown us that there was a sharp turning in the river, with a long reach
of smooth water below. The cascade, therefore, could not be in our
stream, but in some tributary that fell into it near the bend.
"On seeing this, Dick turned his paddle, and permitted the dug-out once
more to float with the current.
"The next moment we passed the mouth of a good-sized creek, whose
waters, having just leaped a fall of several feet, ran into the river,
covered with white froth and bubbles. We could see the fall at a little
distance, through the branches of the trees; and as we swept on, its
foaming sheet reflected the light of our torch like shining metal.
"We had scarcely passed this point, when my attention was attracted by a
pair of fiery orbs that glistened out of some low bushes upon the left
bank of the river. I saw that they were the eyes of some animal, but
what kind of animal I could not guess. I know they were not the eyes of
a deer. Their peculiar scintillation, their lesser size, the wide space
between them all convinced me they were not deer's eyes. Moreover, they
moved at times, as if the head of the animal was carried about in
irregular circles. This is never the case with the eyes of the deer,
which either pass hurriedly from point to point, or remain with a fixed
and steadfast gaze.
"I knew, therefore, it was no deer; but no matter what--it was some wild
creature, and all such are alike the game of the prairie-hunter.
"I took aim, and pulled trigger. While doing so, I heard the voice of
my companion warning me, as I thought, not to fire. I wondered at this
admonition, but it was then too late to heed it, for it had been uttered
almost simultaneously with the report of my rifle.
"I first looked to the bank, to witness the effect of my shot. To my
great surprise, the eyes were still there, gleaming from the bushes as
brightly as ever.
"Had I missed my aim? It is true, the voice of my companion had
somewhat disconcerted me; but I still believed that my bullet must have
sped truly, as it had been delivered with a good aim.
"As I turned to Dick for an explanation, a new sound fell upon my ears
that explained all, at the same time causing me no slight feeling of
alarm. It was a sound not unlike that sometimes uttered by terrified
swine, but still louder and more threatening. I knew it well--I knew it
was the snort of the grizzly bear!
"Of all American animals, the grizzly bear is the most to be dreaded.
Armed or unarmed, man is no match for him, and even the courageous
hunter of these parts shuns the encounter. This was why my companion
had admonished me not to fire. I thought I had missed: it was not so.
My bullet had hit and stung the fierce brute to madness; and a quick
cracking among the bushes was immediately followed by a heavy plunge:
the bear was in the water!
"`Good heavens, he's after us!' cried Dick in accents of alarm, at the
same time propelling the dug-out with all his might.
"It proved true enough that the bear was after us, and the very first
plunge had brought his nose almost up to the side of the canoe.
However, a few well-directed strokes of the paddle set us in quick
motion, and we were soon gliding rapidly down stream, followed by the
enraged animal, that every now and then uttered one of his fierce
snorts.
"What rendered our situation a terrible one was, that we could not now
see the bear, nor tell how far he might be from us. All to the rear of
the canoe was of a pitchy darkness, in consequence of the screen of
birch-bark. No object could be distinguished in that direction, and it
was only by hearing him that we could tell he was still some yards off.
The snorts, however, were more or less distinct, as heard amid the
varying roar of the waterfall; and sometimes they seemed as if the snout
from which they proceeded was close up to our stern.
"We knew that if he once laid his paw upon the canoe, we should either
be sunk or compelled to leap out and swim for it. We knew, moreover,
that such an event would be certain death to one of us at least.
"I need hardly affirm, that my companion used his paddle with all the
energy of despair. I assisted him as much as was in my power with the
butt-end of my gun, which was now empty. On account of the hurry and
darkness, I had not attempted to re-load it.
"We had shot down stream for a hundred yards or so, and were about
congratulating ourselves on the prospect of an escape from the bear,
when a new object of dread presented itself to our terrified
imaginations. This object was the sound of falling water; but not as
before, coming from some tributary stream. No. It was a fall of the
river upon which we were floating, and evidently only a very short
distance below us!
"We were, in fact, within less than one hundred yards of it. Our
excitement, in consequence of being pursued by the bear, as well as the
fact that the sough of the cascade above still filled our ears, had
prevented us from perceiving this new danger until we had approached it.
"A shout of terror and warning from my companion seemed the echo of one
I had myself uttered. Both of us understood the peril of our situation,
and both, without speaking another word, set about attempting to stop
the boat.
"We paddled with all our strength--he with the oar, whilst I used the
flat butt of my rifle. We had succeeded in bringing her to a sort of
equilibrium, and were in hopes of being able to force her toward the
bank, when all at once we heard a heavy object strike against the stern.
At the same moment, the bow rose up into the air, and a number of the
burning pine-knots fell back into the bottom of the canoe. They still
continued to blaze; and their light now falling towards the stern,
showed us a fearful object. The bear had seized hold of the dug-out,
and his fierce head and long curving claws were visible over the edge!
"Although the little craft danced about upon the water, and was likely
to be turned keel upward, the animal showed no intention of relaxing its
hold; but, on the contrary, seemed every moment mounting higher into the
canoe.
"Our peril was now extreme. We knew it, and the knowledge half
paralysed us.
"Both of us started up, and for some moments half sat, half crouched,
uncertain how to act. Should we use the paddles, and get the canoe
ashore, it would only be to throw ourselves into the jaws of the bear.
On the other hand, we could not remain as we were, for in a few seconds
we should be drifted over the falls; and how high these were we knew
not. We had never heard of them: they might be fifty feet--they might
be a hundred! High enough, they were, no doubt, to precipitate us into
eternity.
"The prospect was appalling, and our thoughts ran rapidly. Quick action
was required. I could think of no other than to lean sternward, and
strike at the bear with my clubbed rifle, at the same time calling upon
my companion to paddle for the shore. We preferred, under all
circumstances, risking the chances of a land encounter with our grizzly
antagonist.
"I had succeeded in keeping the bear out of the canoe by several
well-planted blows upon the snout; and Dick was equally successful in
forcing the dug-out nearer to the bank, when a sharp crack reached my
ears, followed by a terrified cry from my companion.
"I glanced suddenly round, to ascertain the cause of these
demonstrations. Dick held in his hands a short round stick, which I
recognised as the shaft of the paddle. The blade had snapped off, and
was floating away on the surface!
"We were now helpless. The _manege_ of the canoe was no longer
possible. Over the falls she must go!
"We thought of leaping out, but it was too late. We were almost upon
the edge, and the black current that bore our craft swiftly along would
have carried our bodies with like velocity. We could not make a dozen
strokes before we should be swept to the brink: it was too late.
"We both saw this; and each knew the feelings of the other, for we felt
alike. Neither spoke; but, crouching down and holding the gunwales of
the canoe, we awaited the awful moment.
"The bear seemed to have some apprehension as well as ourselves; for,
instead of continuing his endeavours to climb into the canoe, he
contented himself with holding fast to the stern, evidently under some
alarm.
"The torch still blazed, and the canoe was catching fire; perhaps this
it was that alarmed the bear.
"The last circumstance gave us at the moment but little concern; the
greater danger eclipsed the less. We had hardly noticed it, when we
felt that we were going over!
"The canoe shot outward as if propelled by some projectile force; then
came a loud crash, as though we had dropped upon a hard rock. Water,
and spray, and froth were dashed over our bodies; and the next moment,
to our surprise as well as delight, we felt ourselves still alive, and
seated in the canoe, which was floating gently in still smooth water.
"It was quite dark, for the torch had been extinguished; but even in the
darkness we could perceive the bear swimming and floundering near the
boat. To our great satisfaction, we saw him heading for the shore, and
widening the distance between himself and us with all the haste he could
make. The unexpected precipitation over the falls had cooled his
courage, if not his hostility.
"Dick and I headed the canoe, now half full of water, for the opposite
bank, which we contrived to reach by using the rifle and our hands for
paddles. Here we made the little vessel fast to a tree, intending to
leave it there, as we could not by any possibility get it back over the
fall. Having hung our game out of reach of the wolves, we turned our
faces up-stream, and, after a long and wearisome walk, succeeded in
getting back to the post.
"Next morning, a party went down for the venison, with the intention
also of carrying the canoe back over the fall. The craft, however, was
found to be so much injured, that it would not hang together during the
portage, and was therefore abandoned. This was no pleasant matter to
me, for it afterwards cost me a considerable sum before I could square
with the old Flathead for his worthless dug-out."