322 WILD SFOKTS IK THE FAR WEST. 



should have been cither killed, or so dreadfully 

 crippled that we must have perished miserably in 

 the cave. 



At about a hundred paces from the lair, I stopped 

 to listen again, but could hear nothing. 1 now called to 

 the others to wait for me, and when we came to a more 

 roomy place, which had also been the retreat of a bear, 

 we held a consultation. Old C. thought that the bear 

 had lain down by her dead cubs, and that one of us had 

 better return to the mouth of the cave and fetch another 

 rifle, as it was out of the question trying to pa^s the 

 furious animal to get at mine. However, before at- 

 tempting the long and difficult way back to the entrance, 

 I resolved to creep again to the lair and see if she was 

 not dead, for I could not but think that my ball must 

 have had some effect. When I got there I could see 

 nothing of her. My shout brought the others to the 

 spot ; so, advancing a little, and examining closely, we 

 saw thick dark blood, and found that, instead of re- 

 turning to her lair, she had taken the left-hand passage. 

 I instantly proceeded to regain my rifle, which I found, 

 covered with blood and slime, about three hundred yards 

 off. I returned :is fast as I possibly could, cleaned it, 

 and reloaded, when we all started again for a I're.-h 

 attack. 



The left-hand passage was as bad as the right ; but 

 luckily the bear had not gone far. We ,-oon reached 

 the place, where, grinding her teeth, she awaited our 

 approach. I halted about eight or nine feet from her, 

 raised myself as high as the space would allow, laid the. 

 rifle over my left arm, in which 1 held the torch, and, 

 seizing the time when her head was quiet for an in- 



