A BEAR IN THE CAMP. 4:7 



" Oo-oo-o !" of the hounds proclaimed the bear was at 

 bay, and hastening in the direction, I came into a close 

 thicket of canes that had sprung up as thick as wheat 

 from the rich bottom land. 



I could hear the bear, before I came to him, snorting 

 and grumbling with rage, and as I entered his covert, 

 I saw him on his haunches, with his back against a 

 bank, his eyes red, his mouth open, shedding foam in 

 huge drops on the ground, and surveying the dogs that 

 were ranged in a semicircle around him, panting with 

 rage, and bearing marks of Bruin's claws that had evi- 

 dently taught them discretion. 



But the greatest mark of respect to the grim wood- 

 king was presented in the person of the Doctor. He sat 

 directly in front of the bear, and scarcely six steps off; 

 his feet were half buried in the mud, and he was seated 

 on the same easy cushion. His coat and vest were wide 

 open, his hat was gone, his curly flaxen hair hung matted 

 with sweat and dew, and his axe, that great weapon of 

 offence and defence to the forest knight, was held in both 

 hands directly in front of him, the handle sticking in the 

 ground, and the blade pointing directly to the bear. If 

 the bear's tongue was lolling, so was the Doctor's ; if the 

 bear seemed out of breath with his chase, the Doctor was 

 doubly so with his ; if Bruin disliked his position, the 

 Doctor appeared more than uncomfortable in his. In his 

 hurry he had tumbled down over the bank directly in 

 front of the quarry, and what with the chase, and what 

 with the fright of this fearful juxtaposition, the bear was 



