Among all there was none fonder of hunting than Alden Payne and his servant Jethro Mix. With the consent of the guide, they sometimes went out with him, but oftener ventured afield without his company. The colored youth proved his proficiency by bringing down some animal, generally of a species that served as an addition to the provision supply. In the course of these hunts, the youths secured between them specimens of the coyote, puma, wild cat, wolverine and in one instance a black bear. Jethro in the last occurrence insisted that their prize was the largest grizzly bear that ever infested the Rockies and the mountainous neighborhood; but, since the specimen could not have weighed more than two hundred pounds, the youth was forced to admit his mistake. “If ye run agin a grizzly,” said Shagbark, when the incident was told him, “ye won’t have no doubt of it. Besides you hain’t reached the region yet where ye’re likely to tumble over them little playthings.” Alden naturally was anxious to shoot a grizzly and hoped he would do so long before reaching Salt Lake. Jethro’s ambition at times was the same, but he was often in doubt. Shagbark told so many appalling stories of that monarch of the western wilds, that the negro thought it would be just as well in case they met a grizzly not to pick a quarrel with him. Now and then they caught glimpses of a Pony Express rider. Twice these coursers of the plains passed so near the camp that they exchanged greetings with the emigrants but neither did more than rein his pony down to a walk. The minutes were too precious to indulge in gossip, and after a few unimportant words they were off again and thundered from sight. On a certain delightful afternoon in summer, Alden and Jethro were several miles from the train, engaged in one of the hunts of which they had become very fond. They had left their friends two or three hours before, and although they saw deer and a few buffaloes, in no case could they get near enough for a shot. “This is the worst luck we have had for over a week,” commented the dissatisfied Alden. “Dere’s no saying what we’ll git afore we goes back to camp,” replied Jethro; “I has a sort ob feeling dat we’re gwine to run into a flock ob grizzlies.” “Suppose we do, what is your plan?” “Jest load and fire as fast as we kin till we’ve tumbled ’em all ober on dere heads, and den scoot fur camp.” “I think you’ll do the scooting before you bring down a grizzly, but Shagbark told us that we are not in a section where we are likely to meet any of those animals.” Being well convinced on this point, Jethro could afford to pose. “It gibs me a big pain to larn dat, ’cause I’se been reckoning on getting one ob de biggest of dem critters in de hull West.” “It may be Shagbark is mistaken, in spite of what he told us!” Jethro who was riding beside his master, looked in a scared way at him. “You doan’ think dat kin be so!”