212 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



Cheadle came in at dark witli some fish, and we liad 

 supper. Mr. O'B. went to bed, and the rest sat 

 smoking and wondering what made The Assiniboine so 

 late, when the door of the lodge was lifted, and he 

 entered, literally trembling with excitement, and for 

 some time hardly able to explain the cause, merely 

 saying, in his French patois, " J'etais en pas mal de 

 danger. J'ai vu les ours gris, proche — proche !" and 

 devoted himself to smoking a pipe, which his son im- 

 mediately filled and handed to him. When suffi- 

 ciently calmed down by the composing weed, he 

 related his adventures. He had found beaver up the 

 stream and shot one, which sunk, and he was unable 

 to secure it. Wandering on for some time without 

 meeting with anything more, he turned back, just 

 before dusk, and retraced his steps. When he arrived 

 within 'a few hundred yards of the cam]3, he heard a 

 rustling in some underwood near by, and thinking 

 the horses had strayed there, turned aside into the 

 cover to drive them back. Instead of seeing the 

 horses he expected, he found himself face to face with 

 an enormous grisly bear, which was engaged in tear- 

 ing open a rotten trunk in search of insects. On the 

 appearance of The Assiniboine, the animal desisted 

 from its employment, and advanced towards him with 

 a terrible growling and lips upcurled, displaying her 

 great teeth and enormous mouth. The first bear was 

 now joined by two others of rather smaller size, who 

 came running up, attracted by the growling. The 

 Assiniboine, an old and practised hunter, stood his 

 ground firmly, and as the old bear came within two 



