Part 29 (2/2)

”Bear-catching?” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Ned.

”Ay, an' screamin' hard work it is too, I guess; but it pays well.”

”What do you do with them when caught?” inquired Tom Collins, in a somewhat sceptical tone.

”Take 'em down to the cities, an' sells 'em to fight with wild bulls.”

At this answer our travellers stared at the man incredulously.

”You're strangers here, I see,” he resumed, ”else you'd know that we have bull and bear fights. The grizzlies are chained by one leg and the bulls let loose at 'em. The bulls charge like all possessed, but they find it hard to do much damage to Caleb, whose hide is like a double-extra rhinoceros. The grizzlies ginerally git the best of it; an' if they was let loose, they'd chaw up the bulls in no time, they would. There's a great demand for 'em jist now, an' my trade is catchin' 'em alive here in the mountains.”

The big Yankee stretched out his long limbs and smoked his pipe with the complacent aspect of a man who felt proud of his profession.

”Do you mean that you seven men catch fall-grown grizzly-bears alive and take them down to the settlements?” inquired Ned in amazement.

”Sartinly I do,” replied the bear-catcher; ”an' why not, stranger?”

”Because I should have thought it impossible.”

”Nothin”s impossible,” replied the man, quietly.

”But how do you manage it?”

Instead of replying, the Yankee inquired if ”the strangers” would stay over next forenoon with them.

”With much pleasure,” answered Ned, not a little amused at the invitation, as well as the man's _brusque_ manner.

”Well, then,” continued the bear-catcher, shaking the ashes out of his pipe, and putting it into his hat, ”I'll let ye see how we do it in the mornin'. Good-night.”

So saying, he drew his blanket over his head and resigned himself to sleep, an example which was speedily followed by the whole party.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

GRIZZLY-BEAR-CATCHING IN THE MOUNTAINS--NED AND TOM DINE IN THE MIDST OF ROMANTIC SCENERY, AND HOLD SAGACIOUS CONVERSE--THE STRANGE DEVICES OF WOODp.e.c.k.e.rS.

Just as day began to peep on the following morning, the camp was roused by one of the bear-catchers, a Mexican, who had been away to visit the bear-trap during the night, and now came rus.h.i.+ng in among the sleepers, shouting--

”Hoor-roo! boy, him cotch, him cotch! big as twinty mans! fact!”

At first Ned thought the camp was attacked by savages, and he and Tom sprang to their feet and grasped their rifles, while they sought to rub their eyes open hastily. A glance at the other members of the camp, however, shewed that they were unnecessarily alarmed. Croft leisurely stretched his limbs, and then gathered himself slowly into a sitting posture, while the others arose with various degrees of reluctance.

”Bin long in?” inquired Croft.

”No, jist cotched,” answered the Mexican, who sat down, lit his pipe, and smoked violently, to relieve his impatient feelings.

”Big 'un?” inquired Croft, again.

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