24
CATHLAMET ON THE COLUMBIA
muskets by whittling out a wooden plug the size of the interior of the gun barrel, and with this make a mold in damp sand, into which was poured the melted lead. The result was a fearful missile. It would not go straight for forty yards, but as it was never fired at such a great distance this made no difference, for by lying in wait or careful stalking the Indian would get so close in to his game that a miss was impossible. A bear slain in this way looked after his decease as if he had been hit by a section of Mount Hood in some "Battle of the Gods."
