THE ASSINIBOINE AND THE GRISLY BEARS. 213 



or three yards, suddenly threw np his arms. This, 

 a usual device in hunting the grisly bear, caused 

 the animal to stop for a moment and sit up on her 

 hind legs, giving an opportunity for a steady shot. 

 The Assiniboine took a deliberate aim, and pulled the 

 trigger, but, to his dismay, the snapping of the cap 

 only followed. He pulled the second trigger, and 

 that missed fire also. Strange to say, the bear did 

 not attack him, and as he continued to show a firm 

 and immovable front, retired with the others, and 

 all three stood watching him. At every attempt 

 he made to move, one or other rushed towards him, 

 growling fiercely. This continued for some time, but 

 at length they resumed their occupation of breaking 

 up the rotten logs, and he stole off unperceived. He 

 was not, however, content to leave them undisturbed 

 after his narrow escape. When well out of sight he 

 stopped, poured fresh powder into the nipples of his 

 gun, and re-capped it. He then crept cautiously round, 

 so as to approach them from an opposite -quarter. He 

 found them still in the same place, occuj)ied as before. 

 Crouching behind a natural barricade of fallen trees, 

 he took a fair deliberate shot at the old bear. Again 

 both barrels missed fire, and the three, aroused by the 

 snapping of the caps, looked round, and quickly per- 

 ceiving him, rushed up, growling and shomng their 

 teeth, but stopped as they came to the barrier of trees, 

 which they fortunately made no attempt to pass. The 

 same scene pre\dously described was now re-enacted, 

 the animals resenting any sign which the man showed 

 of retiring, but refraining from actual attack. At last 

 they all suddenly set off at speed, and after a time the 



