130 FIFTY YEARS IN WESTERN CANADA

“T am exhausted; let us have a rest,’’ he said to the
young man.

They had been but a few moments sitting on a stone
when the latter sighted at a short distance an enormous
grizzly bear, which was unaware of their presence.??
Despite the entreaties of Ezooh, who was more sensible
of the danger and physically unable to help, the rash
Sékanais went down and sent the load of his gun into
the monster’s body. But what is that to a grizzly?
Just enough to make him mad. With a frightful growl,
the animal rushed at his aggressor and sank his terrible
claws, then his long teeth, into his neck and along his
chest and belly which he ripped open; then, attacking
his arms, he chewed them with rage, leaving his body
a shapeless mass of bloody flesh.

During Father Morice’s own stay in the north,
two other Sékanais met a similar end: maimed and
eaten up by grizzlies—as usual, they were two young
inexperienced fellows, who must have been devoid
of all notions of prudence. Really good hunters know
better, and attack these brutes only when well armed
or with sufficient help at hand. No foolish presump-
tion like that of Ezooh’s brother, for instance, could
have been laid at the doors of such a real huntsman
as was the chief Kar-ta (Rabbit-Eyes), whom W. W..
Walkem calls Cathar.** Father Morice knew him well,
and claims that he was as great a chief, as far as a Séka-
nais can be one, as a really good Christian and a
successful hunter.

The following incident is evidence of the sincere
Christianity of Chief Kar-ta. He had just lost a son,
whom he loved and valued as only a primitive can,

22 The sight of all kinds of bears is defective, but their hearing and
faculty of smelling extremely keen.

23 Stortes of Early British Columbia, pp. 238 et seg. Vancouver, 1914.

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