ATTACK AND RETREAT. 161 



is preferable to be in the post of danger, than to remain 

 in a state of suspense. 



The bear, by no means pleased with our intrusion, laid 

 back her ears, snapped her teeth, and kept constantly 

 swinging to and fro ; as she did not sit quite upright I 

 had no other choice than to aim at the head, in the hope 

 that if I missed my aim, the ball might pierce the breast. 

 As I was taking aim, the thought crossed my brain for a 

 moment (why should I deny it ?) how helpless I was if 

 the shot failed ; but it lasted only a moment, and, in the 

 excitement of the present, I forgot both past and fu- 

 ture. 



I took a long aim, and yet, as the bear was not still for 

 one second, I pulled the trigger too soon. The cave was 

 filled with thick smoke ; a fearful groan announced that 

 the beast was wounded ; we did not wait to examine the 

 state of affairs, but crept back as fast as the narrow 

 space would allow, to a spot where there was more room 

 to move, in order to reload and return to the attack. 



We had retreated, backwards, for about a hundred 

 yards, and had halted in a more convenient part of the 

 cave, when we heard the bear coming towards us snort- 

 ing and snapping her teeth, till the cave echoed with 

 the sound. My first thought was " Good-bye to the 

 light of the sun." But I had not much time for consi- 

 deration, and called to young Conwell to make haste if 

 he valued our lives, for the old one was coming. He 

 did not require much pressing, and I never saw crabs 

 crawl backwards quicker than we tried to do ; yet, how- 

 ever great our hurry, and imminent our danger, it was 

 11 



