144 Hunting the Grisly 



son was a man of great strength, a keen 

 swordsman, who always kept the finest edge 

 on his blade, and he was on a swift and met- 

 tled Kentucky horse, which luckily had but 

 one eye. Riding at full speed he soon over- 

 took the quarry. As the horse hoofs sounded 

 nearer, the grim bear ceased its flight, and 

 whirling round stood at bay, raising itself on 

 its hind-legs and threatening its pursuer with 

 bared fangs and spread claws. Carefully rid- 

 ing his horse so that its blind side should be 

 toward the monster, the cavalryman swept by 

 at a run, handling his steed with such daring 

 skill that he just cleared the blow of the 

 dreaded forepaw, while with one mighty 

 sabre stroke he cleft the bear's skull, slaying 

 the grinning beast as it stood upright. 



