“‘Bear nothin’!’ says he.
“‘Chuck an eye down the other side,’ says I.
“He disappeared, but came right back. ‘Bear nothin’,’ says he agin, havin’ no originality.
“‘Well, he was there, ’an’ he stayed all the afternoon,’ says I.
“‘Reckon he must ’a’ heard ye was an animal trainer, an’ got skeered!’ says Steevens. But I wasn’t jokin’ jest then.
“‘You cut fer camp, an’ bring a rope, an’ git me out o’ this, quick, d’ye hear?’ says I. ‘There’s a rattler lives here, an’ he’s comin’ back presently, an’ I don’t want to meet him. Slide!’
“Well, boys, that’s all. That bear wasn’t jest what I’d wanted; but feelin’ ugly about 288 him, I decided to take him an’ break him in. We trailed him, an’ after a lot o’ trouble we trapped him. He was a sight more trouble after we’d got him, I tell you. But afterwards, when I set myself to tryin’ to train him, why, I might jest as well have tried to train an earthquake. Do you suppose that grizzly was goin’ to be afraid o’ me? He’d seen me afraid o’ him, all right. He’d seen it in my eyes! An’ what’s more, I couldn’t forgit it; but when I’d look at him I’d feel, every time, the nightmare o’ that great wicked face hangin’ there over the cliff, close to mine. So, he don’t perform. What’ll ye take, boys? It’s hot milk, this time, fer mine.”