Spirit Lake . tle while. Presently Iheard the report of his gun. As I wantedto ascend a hill first, I did not make animmediate effort to join him. But when I 144 SPIRIT LAKE did find him, I gave a cry of horror as Ibeheld three forms lying on the were stretched the carcasses of amoose and a bear; and between them laythe body of my father. He lived only longenough to tell me the tale of his disastrousencounter. He had shot the moose and was in the actof skinning it, when he heard behind him asnort. Turning, he saw not ten paces awaya grizzly bear making for him. When heshot the moo
Spirit Lake . tle while. Presently Iheard the report of his gun. As I wantedto ascend a hill first, I did not make animmediate effort to join him. But when I 144 SPIRIT LAKE did find him, I gave a cry of horror as Ibeheld three forms lying on the were stretched the carcasses of amoose and a bear; and between them laythe body of my father. He lived only longenough to tell me the tale of his disastrousencounter. He had shot the moose and was in the actof skinning it, when he heard behind him asnort. Turning, he saw not ten paces awaya grizzly bear making for him. When heshot the moose, he had foolishly neglectedto reload his gun. More foolishly still,he had left his gun standing against a tree;and between him and the tree was the , he clenched his knife and stoodhis ground. As the monster rose abovehim, he lunged with all his might, strivingto bury his knife in its heart. The blow wasstricken aside, and a terrible struggle ensued,terminating in the sad spectacle before THE BUFFALO SPIRIT 145 After listening to my fathers last words,I called upon the Master of Life to witnessmy vow that I would trail every grizzly Ishould ever after find; to avenge my fathersdeath, I would kill or be killed. From thathour I felt no fear of death; for whenever Istruck a grizzly trail, I always heard thespirit of my father encouraging me. At that time we lived in the mountainsbeyond the River of Peace, and it was as anavenger that for many years I unrelentinglypursued the grizzly bears among the hillswhere my father met his death. Whilefulfilling my vow, I supported my motherby selling the skins of the grizzlies I I was only fifteen, I traded at HudsonsHope in one year no less than five smalland twelve large grizzly skins. To thetrader who asked me how I got so many, Ireplied: Mother helped me. Some wecaught in traps, others in snares; but most 146 SPIRIT LAKE we killed cither with fathers gun or with hisdag. It was upon the dag that I depende
Size: 1256px × 1989px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublishernewyorkmacmillan
