VICTORY AT LAST. 323 



etant, I fired. Again the cave echoed the crack of the 

 rifle, and all was enveloped in thick smoke. I heard 

 the bear groan and move, but stood my ground, as this 

 time I knew that my ball had struck the right place : 

 as the smoke cleared away, she lay dead before me. 



Young Conwell and I were half dead from our exer- 

 tions, and it would have been impossible for us to get 

 the bear out; for the time we had been crawling 

 in the close air of the cave and smoke of the torches, 

 and the long-continued excitement of constant danger, 

 were almost too much for the constitution of any man ; 

 so we decided on returning to the fresh air as fast as 

 we could. It took us about half an hour to do so, 

 and I shall never forget the effect of the delightfully 

 cool night air, as I drew it in in long inspirations, and 

 gazed on the bright-blue starry skies. 



Young Smith and the schoolmaster were fast asleep, 

 but as the dogs barked they both jumped up, and almost 

 fell down again from fright, for they swore that they 

 had never seen such horrible figures as we looked in 

 the red light of the torches, covered with blood and 

 slime, and blackened with smoke. Judging by the 

 stars, it must have been about two o'clock in the morn- 

 ing. Although as hungry as lions, we were too ex- 

 hausted to touch any thing ; so we lay down and slept till 

 daybreak. We made; a good breakfast, and then, leaving 

 old Conwell behind, who had done rather too much for 

 his time of life, we four again entered the cu\ e to bring 

 out our prizes. AVe fastened a cord round the old 

 bear's neck ; I squeezed past, and shoved from be- 

 hind, while .Smith and the schoolmaster pulled, and 



