A VAIN ALARM. 309 



" He reared himself erect, and while eyeing me still 

 more menacingly, as I thought, roared louder and yet 

 louder. 



" I prepared for a struggle, clutching my gun in my 

 left hand, and wrapping my handkerchief round my right. 

 My intention was, to smite him across the jaw with the 

 but-end of my musket, and to choke him by thrusting 

 my handkerchief down his throat. This was no easy or 

 probable scheme, but it was my last chance ; and I re- 

 solved, at all events, to sell my life as dearly as possible. 



" Really I did not cherish any hope ; my sole desire 

 was to struggle against the villanous bear which had 

 persecuted me since the morning, and to inflict upon him 

 all the harm I could. 



" However, it was a vain alarm. After a few minutes, 

 the savage animal once more grew tranquil, and crouched 

 down, not exactly as before, but with his neck out- 

 stretched towards me, like a cat who is closely examining 

 some particular object. At length, having satisfied him- 

 self, I suppose, that I was still in his power, he laid him- 

 self full length on the ground. But again, at the expiry 

 of about ten minutes, he suddenly arose, and roared in a 

 more ferocious manner than ever. The idea then occurred 

 to me that another animal of his species was stealthily 

 approaching from the rear, and that my Grisly objected 

 to any division of the spoil. If I had not deceived my- 

 self, my fate would be soon decided. I also cherished a 

 faint hope that my people, perhaps, were attempting to 

 succour me under cover of the darkness ; but was it 

 probable they would have courage enough to dare anything 1 ? 

 That I had no longer any wish to sleep, you may readily 

 conjecture. 



