My Big Bear of Shuyak 



pered to Nikolai, who was standing a few feet in 

 front of me, intently peering to the right Sud- 

 denly I caught just a glimpse of a tawny, brownish 

 bit of color through the brush a short distance 

 ahead. Quickly raising my rifle I had just a chance 

 for a snap shot, and the next instant a large bear 

 made a dash through some thick underbrush. It 

 was but an indistinct glimpse which I had had, 

 and before I could throw another cartridge into 

 the barrel of my rifle the bear was out of sight. 

 Keeping my eyes moving at about the rate of speed 

 I judged he was going, I fired again through the 

 trees, and at once a deep and angry growl told me 

 that my bullet had gone home. 



Then we raced ahead, my hunter going to the 

 left while I entered the thick brush into which the 

 bear had disappeared. I had gone but a short 

 distance when I heard Nikolai shoot three times in 

 r^pid succession, and as quickly as I could break 

 through I hurried in his direction. It seemed that 

 as we separated, Nikolai had at once caught sight 

 of the bear slowly making away. He immediately 

 fired but missed; at the report of his rifle the bear 

 turned and came toward him, but was too badly 

 wounded by my first two shots to be dangerous. 

 At close range Nikolai fired two more shots, and it 

 was at this moment that I joined him. The bear 



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