316 HUNTING SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



of swine rushed in wild haste across the path, just in 

 front of me. I was about to ride on when I heard fur- 

 ther rustling amongst the dry leaves, and then one of 

 largest bears of the swamps stood in the path, not above 

 six paces from my horse's nose. He did not seem to 

 to know what to make of the figure looming through the 

 glade of the forest, by the light of the moon, and began 

 to snuff the air. My rifle was not loaded, and the 

 thought flashed upon me that I should have to fight it 

 out with my knife ; but I resolved first to try and send 

 him a bit of lead. I placed the butt of my gun on my' 

 left toe, and succeeded in loading ; but as I was about 

 to place the copper cap, the horse, who had hitherto 

 stood quite still, seemed inclined to examine the object 

 before him a little closer, and giving a snort made a step 

 forward. Master bruin, however, did not seem to like 

 this, and with one bound he was in the jungle. Having 

 finished my loading, I slipped off my horse, and crept 

 into the bushes to get a shot if possible. I may have 

 gone about twenty paces over the dry leaves, when I 

 stood still to listen. Not the slightest sound was to be 

 heard ; though I was firmly convinced that the bear 

 could not be above ten paces off, for the leaves were so 

 dry that if he had gone further I must have heard it. 

 I raised my foot gently to make another step forward, 

 when the bear who had been standing so motionless be- 

 fore me, that I took him for the* root of a fallen tree, 

 almost brushed my face, and took himself off with a 

 growl ; before I could recover from my surprise, he had 

 disappeared. 



I returned, quite disappointed, to my horse, who re- 



