If The Paw Of A Mere "Cub" Could Be
That Enormous Size, What Might Not Be The Size Of An Ordinary Grown-Up
Bear, Paws Included!
Mrs. Ord declared that she rather liked little
bears - they were so cunning and playful - but I noticed she avoided the
banks, also.
We had left dry clothing at the small camp, and when we returned we
found nice little retreats all ready for us, made of cloaks and
things, in among the boulders and bushes. There were cups of delicious
hot tea, too; but we were not cold, and the most astonishing thing
about that whole grand day is, we did not feel stiff or the slightest
discomfort in any form after it. The tramp was long and the water
cold, and my own baths many. I might have saved myself, sometimes,
from going all the way down had I not been afraid of breaking my rod,
which I always held high when I fell. The day was one to be remembered
by Mrs. Ord and me. We had thought all the time that General Stanley
was making a great sacrifice by giving up a day's sport for our
amusement, and that it was so kind of him, for, of course he could not
be enjoying the day; but it seems that he had sport of which we knew
nothing until the following day - in fact, we know nothing about it
yet! But he began to tell the most absurd stories of what we did, and
we must have done many unusual things, for he is still entertaining
the camp with them. He was very proud of us, nevertheless, and says so
often. The ride of twelve miles back to camp seemed endless, for as
soon as the excitement of the stream was over we found that we were
tired - awfully tired.
We have only a few weeks more of this delightful life. The hunting is
excellent, too, and Faye and Captain Rives often bring in large bags
of mountain grouse and young sage hens. The sage chicken are as tender
and delicious as partridge before they begin to feed upon wild sage in
the fall, but one short day in the brush makes them different birds
and wholly unpalatable. We often send birds, and fish also, to friends
at Fort Bridger, who were most hospitable the day we arrived, and
before coming to camp.
I had quite forgotten the wedding yesterday! It was at Fort Bridger,
and the bride, a daughter of the post trader, is related to several
families of social position at Omaha. We put on the very prettiest
gowns we had with us, but the effect was disappointing, for our red
faces looked redder than ever above delicate laces and silks. The
ceremony was at noon - was very pretty - and everything passed off
beautifully. The breakfast was delicious, and we wondered at the
dainty dishes served so far from a caterer. The house was not large,
and every bit of air had been shut out by darkening the windows, but
we were spared the heat and smell of lamps on the hot day by the rooms
being lighted by hundreds of candles, each one with a pretty white
shade.
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