August 13th. Our hunters have been very successful these last few days. We have a large stock of elk meat,
which we intend drying after the Indian fashion. On Friday, while Don Luis and the trapper were out together,
they were surprised by the sight of a huge bear right before them, slowly walking up towards them. As soon as
he arrived within about a hundred paces he squatted down upon his haunches for a few moments; but, as they
got nearer to him, and just as they were preparing to give him a greeting in the shape of a couple of balls
through his head, he rose up and scampered off. They fired, but without success, and the brute plunged into a
dense thicket; after which they saw nothing more of him.
Our Indians, after stopping with us a couple of days, during which period we compelled them to encamp at
night-time outside the fort, took their departure early on Friday morning, or else during the night of Thursday,
unperceived by our sentinels. They, however, took nothing with them belonging to our party, except a couple
of blankets we had lent to the two principal men.
Uit: J. Thyrwitt Brooks:
California. Four months among the gold-finders, being tehe xpedition from San Francisco to the gold districts.
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