AMONG THE CIIEUOKEES. 291 



which the bullet will penetrate into the head, and paralyze 

 the creature's force. 



Look ! the bear, having arrived opposite to the candle, 

 has lifted his enormous paw, as if to strike it out \ at the 

 same moment the Indian fires, and in the midst of the 

 obscurity prevailing over the scene which I have attempted 

 to describe, you may hear a fantastic hurrah, the triumph- 

 song of the fortunate conqueror ! The trapper has killed 

 the grisly bear. 



During my sojourn among the Cherokee Indians, in 

 their wigwam, on the Creek River, one of them observed 

 in my presence, during the evening watch, that he hoped 

 for a good hunt on the following day, because, that very 

 morning, he had discovered the lair of a Grisly, and in- 

 tended to attack him alone. However, I asked per- 

 mission to accompany him, that I might have an oppor- 

 tunity of witnessing this new kind of combat. Naturally 

 all the men in the encampment followed us, and we had 

 made our way, with great difficulty, through a thicket of 

 cotton-trees and lianas, when the Indian informed us he 

 had come upon the animal's traces. Following them up, 

 we arrived in front of a gigantic tree, whose circumference 

 was nearly one hundred feet. It was a maple of vener- 

 able antiquity, in whose hollow trunk, according to the 

 Indian, the bear had taken up his abode, and where he 

 intended to arouse him from his tranquillity. Never have 

 I seen anything more admirable than this man calmly 

 preparing to encounter one of the most terrible risks 

 which the world of peril knows of. A ferocious joy 

 sparkled in his eyes. Throwing away the coverlet under 



