descend, but I paid no
attention to them, and they soon returned to their former positions.
Very soon I heard a hissing sound from one of them, and knew that an
intruder was near. Two grey wolves appeared.

"I had hung the hams by the ham strings, and they were fully eight
feet from the ground. At first the wolves came boldly forward, but the
warning of the porcupines caused them to stop, and hesitate to jump for
the meat. However, they were hungry, and began to leap savagely for the
hams, although evidently they proved good targets for the quills of the
prickly ones, for occasionally one of them would squeal and rub his nose
desperately against the tree.

"At last one of the wolves buried his teeth too deeply in a tough
portion of the flesh, and having jumped to reach it, his own weight
made it impossible for him to loosen his upper jaw. There the grey wolf
dangled, kicking and yelping, until the tendon of the ham gave way, and
both fell heavily to the ground. From my hiding-place I sent two arrows
into his body, which ended his life. The other one ran away to a little
distance and remained there a long time, as if waiting for her mate.

"I was now very weary, but I had seen many grizzly bears' tracks in the
vicinity, and besides, I had not forgotten the dreadful scream of the
mountain lion. I determined to continue my watch.

"As I had half expected, there came presently a sudden heavy fall, and
at the same time the burning embers were scattered about and the fire
almost extinguished. My blanket with the log in it was rolled over
several times, amid snarls and growls. Then the assailant of my camp--a
panther--leaped back into the thick underbrush, but not before my arrow
had penetrated his side. He snarled and tried to bite off the shaft, but
after a time became exhausted and lay still.

"I could now distinguish the grey dawn in the east. I was exceedingly
drowsy, so I fastened myself by a rope of raw-hide to the trunk of the
tree against which I leaned. I was seated on a large limb, and soon fell
asleep.

"I was rudely awakened by the report of a gun directly under me. At
the same time, I thought some one was trying to shake me off the tree,
Instantly I reached for my gun. Alas! it was gone! At the first shake
of the tree by my visitor, a grizzly bear, the gun had fallen, and as it
was cocked, it went off.

"The bear picked up the weapon and threw it violently away; then he
again shook the tree with all his