LETTER IV. 



59 



off and shoot, so I dismounted, put my arm 

 through the bridle, and prepared to take a 

 solemn pot-shot at the old rascal who was 

 stopping the Queen's highway, standing up, right 

 on end, in the orthodox fashion of the story- 

 books. This, I confess, astonished me, for having 

 shot a good many bears ' of sorts,' and having 

 never seen one do this before, I had until that 

 moment thought grizzly's uprightness a good 

 deal overrated. But my deliberate movements 

 were too much for ' old Ephraim,' who promptly 

 came down from his post of observation, and 

 before I had time to fire, gave one quick lurch, 

 and was gone into the bush, as quickly and as 

 silently as if he had been only a British bunny 

 caught sitting in the sunlight on a woodland ride 

 at home ; and all that was left of him was a little 

 column of yellow dust curling up into the ray of 

 sunlight in which he had been dozing. Not 

 being young enough to attempt to follow the 

 bear into the thicket (having once, long ago, 

 nearly lost my life by such folly), there was 

 nothing to be done but to get back into the 

 saddle, whence I could see over the little jungle, 

 wait for my pack-train, and watch for a chance 

 of a shot in case the bear should try to break 

 away. By-and-by, after what seemed an age, I 

 heard the bells of my laggard train, and saw 



