SUMMER RETREAT IN ARKANSAS. 37 



the hole in his carcass — and tliar I stood like a fool — 

 rifle in hand, watching him, instead of giving him an- 

 other ball. All of a sudden he caught a glimpse of my 

 hunting shirt, and the way that he walked at me on his 

 two fore legs, was a caution to slow dogs. 



" I fired, and instantly stept round behind the trunk 

 of a large tree ; my second shot confused the bar, and 

 as he was hunting about for me, just as I was patch- 

 ing my ball, he again saw me, and, with his ears nailed 



back to his head, he gave the d 1 w — h — e — w I ever 



heard, and made straight at me ; I leapt up a bank near 

 by, and as I gained the top, my foot touched the eend 

 of his nose. 



" If I ever had the ' narviouSj'' stranger, that was 

 the time, for the skin of my face seemed an inch thick, 

 and my eyes had more rings in them than a wild cat's. 



" At this moment, several of my dogs, that war out 

 on an expedition of their own, came up, and immediately 

 made battle with the bar, who shook oflf the dogs in a 

 flash, and made agin at me ; the thing was done so 

 quick, that as I raised my rifle, I stepped back and fell 

 over, and, thinking my time was come, wished that I 

 had been born to be hung, and not chaw'd up ; but the 

 bar didn't cotch me ; his hind quarters, as he came at 

 me, fell into a hole about a root, and caught : I was on 

 my feet, and out of his reach in a wink, but as quick as 

 I did this, he had cut through a green root the size of 

 my leg, he did it in about two snaps, but, weakened by 



