A NOCTURNAL AMBUSCADE. 299 



shooting parties, I feared I might not be better adapted 

 for this kind of pastime, which requires great skill and 

 firm nerves. I sounded four or five of my men, including 

 Narcissus, to see if they would accompany me during the 

 forthcoming night in a search after the Grislys. Only 

 three accepted my proposal ; the others we left in charge 

 of the waggons, with directions to keep the fire a-light, 

 and to watch that the horses did not stray too far. We 

 reached the pond as the sun set, and having brought with 

 us some pickaxes and spades, set to work to dig, at about 

 a hundred yards from the bank, a ditch or trench, three 

 to four feet deep. On the edge we piled iip the ex- 

 cavated soil, till it formed a kind of rampart. These 

 operations occupied fully an hour. We then posted our- 

 selves in our entrenchment, and, with our guns loaded, 

 awaited the arrival of the enemy. 



" We spent the night there all in vain. A great 

 number of wild beasts came to quench their thirst ; but 

 the king of bears did not choose to put in an appearance. 

 Cayeutes came, and panthers, and other quadrupeds ; but 

 we did not waste our powder in firing upon them, since 

 a single shot might alarm the Grislys, and prevent them 

 from approaching the lake. Yet we gained nothing by 

 our excessive precautions. When the morning dawned, 

 we emerged from our ambuscade, stiff, benumbed, out of 

 humour, and overcome with sleep. 



" We had not caught sight even of the shadow of a 

 Grisly, though we heard them growling in the distance. 



" They had been attracted by our waggons and horses, 

 for we afterwards learned that they had prowled all 

 night in the environs of our camp. 



" The men whom we had left there in charge had ex- 



