A MONARCH DETHRONED. 55 



in his death-agony. I could now see him very 

 plainly, and could see that he was covered with blood 

 and was getting weaker and weaker every minute as 

 he came on towards me. Just as he reached the edge 

 of the water he spread himself out on all-fours, and 

 there continued throwing up his head, uttering most 

 horrible groans and guttural grunts, while I sat cold 

 and spell- bound under the great excitement. At 

 last he died, seventeen minutes after he had received 

 a ball which would have been instant death to an ox. 

 Then I got up and went over to where he lay. 



" He was a monster indeed. Not fat but so mus- 

 cular. Streams of blood were running from his mouth 

 where he had broken his great teeth in his death- 

 agony. I was under intense excitement, but I noticed 

 that his legs were black while his sides and back 

 were of a tawny tint. His tail was very short, so 

 short, in fact, that he could not even sit down upon it. 



" It had been raining all day, but I never noticed 

 it as I sat on the log watching the dying throes of 

 the bear. I must confess that I had a pang of re- 

 morse as I looked down at the dead monster. I had 

 at last outwitted one of the giants of the forest, but 

 in his death I had seen the qualities of a grand war- 

 rior. After finishing my examination of the big 

 fellow I turned about and went to camp, leaving 

 him just where he had fallen. I reached the camp 

 at dark, and would have given a good deal if you 

 had been here to share the enthusiasm with me. 



" There was no sleep for me that night. I went 

 over that fearful struggle again and again, and 

 when I dozed off I would wake with a start from a 

 5 



