 very shanty.  He was drilling
in the rock for ore, and had a fair-sized prospect-hole, when one day
as he was comin' back here for his grub, he came face to face with a
bear with two cubs.  Of course he ought to have run back to his
prospect-hole, where he'd have been safe enough till she'd cleared off
from the spot, but no--he was that reckless, he went straight for her
and attacked her with his pickaxe, which was the only weapon he had.
He'd no chance, however, against her; and many a time has he told me
the terrible feeling he had when he struck out at her with all his
might and jest missed her.  The next moment she sent the pickaxe flying
out of his hands, leaving him quite at her mercy.  She caught him, and
hugged and mangled him terribly.  He'd jest sense enough left to
remember that he once heard as a bear won't touch a dead man, so he,
poor chap, tried it on as a last chance for life.  He lay quite stiff
and quiet, and lucky for him the trick succeeded.  She loosed her grip
of him, and sniffed and sniffed round him, until I guess she thought
she must have finished him off.  Then she went away with her cubs and
left him.  My mate jest managed to crawl in here and shut the door, and
here I found him an hour later, as near dead as any man I ever saw.
The bear had torn him dreadfully and bitten him, and, I tell you, he
took some nursing to pull him through; but he did live, and is going
still.  However, you may be sure as he don't scoff and joke any more
about bears.'

'I should think not, indeed,' said Jack.  'What an escape he had!  Did
the bear come back again?'

'No,' answered Joe.  'I followed her up carefully, and shot her with
that 'ere rifle of mine as you see there in the corner.  But I didn't
fool with her, for I've done more bear-hunting than any man in the
States, and know by experience you must be cautious.  Yes, I killed
her, and the two cubs as well.  She was a grizzly, and a fierce un,
too.'

'Are there many different kinds of bears on these mountains?' asked
Jack, who was very interested in 