In less than half an hour we were partaking of the hot juicy steaks which Quong brought round to us on the point of his knife, and washing it down with hot tea, while the stranger and Gunson chatted away about the sport to be had in that part of the country, filling my head with eager hopes of partaking therein, as I heard of the different kinds of game and deer, some of which were of huge size—elk and moose as high as horses, which were shot in the winter.
It soon became evident that our new acquaintance was a keen sportsman, but he talked in quite an easy modest way of what he had done, and at last I felt obliged to join in, telling of our adventures with the bears, and asking if he had seen or shot any.
“Several,” he said. “Many, I may say, but of course spread over a long stay here. I can show you their heads and skins. I generally save them. That man Michael Grey is a clever hunter, and an admirable skin-dresser.”
“Are the bears very dangerous?”
“Only under certain circumstances, my lad. There are several kinds here, varying very little. I mean beginning with the smallest; he strongly resembles the next larger, and he again the one larger still, and so on, till we get up to the cinnamon, and from him to the great grizzly, who is a fierce beast best avoided. As for the others, they are stupid, inoffensive creatures, whose great aim in life is to get out of man’s way, and who will not interfere with him or fight if they are left alone. Now then, what do you say to going on?”
“By all means,” said Gunson; and we rose, to my regret, for I had enjoyed the meal and rest, and the hunting narratives were delightful.
We were all ready for starting, and I shouldered one pack, Quong loading himself up with the deer-meat, and our new friend and his follower insisting upon helping to share our burden, while I noticed that Mike, as he was called, kicked the burning embers about in all directions so as to extinguish the fire.
“What is that for?” said our new companion, interpreting my looks; “that is what every hunter or traveller should do. Never leave a fire. There is abundance of wood—huge forests all about, but none that ought to be destroyed. The pine-trees burn fiercely.”
I nodded, for I knew.
“And, once a forest is set on fire, we never know where it may end.”