[Footnote 6:  Animalium patris testiculum.]

But to escape from these pleasing digressions, Kit Carson and his men concluded their summer’s work with unusual success.  Their exertions had been crowned with rewards which surpassed their fondest anticipations.  As the wintry months were again fast coming on, Kit and his men determined to rejoin Bridger’s’ command.  The return trip, was therefore commenced and duly prosecuted.  Late one afternoon, just after the little party had gone into camp, Kit, having lingered somewhat behind, suddenly rode into the camp ground and leaped from his horse, giving it in care of one of the men.  With his rifle, he then started in pursuit of game for supper.  He walked on about one mile from the camp and there came upon the fresh tracks of some elk.  Following up the trail he discovered the game grazing on the side of a hill.  In the neighborhood of the animals there were some low and craggy pine trees.  Moving along with great care, he finally gained the cover of the trees, which brought him in close proximity to the elk, and within certain range of his rifle.  This care was the more necessary as his party had been without meat diet for some time and began to be greatly in need thereof.  These ever wary animals saw, or scented him; or, at any rate, became conscious of approaching danger from some cause, before he could reach the spot from which he desired to take his aim.  They had commenced moving; and, in another instant, would have bounded away, out of all reach of his rifle.  His eye and piece, however, were too quick for them; for, bringing his piece into position and without dwelling upon his aim, he sped a bullet after the largest and the fattest of the noble game before him.  He had wisely allowed for the first leap, for his shot caught the nimble animal in mid air and brought him to the earth, writhing in his death agony with a fearful wound through the heart and lungs, from which there was no escape.  One quiver ran through the frame of the beautiful animal, when, he breathed his last.  The echoing sound of the rifle shot had hardly died away, to which the true hunter ever listens with unfeigned pleasure as the sweetest of music on his ear, whenever he has seen that his game is surely within his grasp, the last faint melody was broken in upon and completely lost in a terrific roar from the woods directly behind him.  Instantly turning his head to note the source of this sound, the meaning and cause of which he well knew by his experienced woodman’s ear, educated until its nicety was truly wonderful, he saw two huge and terribly angry grizzly bears.  As his eye first rested upon these unwelcome guests, they were bounding towards him, their eyes flashing fiery passion, their pearly teeth glittering with eagerness to mangle his flesh, and their monstrous fore-arms, hung with sharp, bony claws, ready and anxious to hug his body in a close and most loving embrace.  There was not much time for Kit