I reached cautiously for the gun, 

 raised it as best I could how the 

 thing wabbled and danced and 

 circled. 



The long day's strain had told, but, 

 with a final supreme effort of will, I 

 got it to my shoulder and fired. 

 Then shut my eyes for an instant 

 expecting the creature to seize me 

 and devour. 



Nothing happened ! I do not 

 believe I aimed, I never knew. 

 The bear turned and started back 

 toward me the way he had come, 

 evidently on a runway, he looked as 

 big as an elephant; already another 

 cartridge was jerked in. I was calm 

 now, I had done it and must fight. 

 If he were wounded I knew there 

 would be no quarter. I had the gun 

 at shoulder and then for the first 

 time the creature, who was now a 

 mastodon, saw me. Its little eyes 

 glared straight at me. I shall never 

 forget them, and there we stood, 

 transfixed. 



For the fraction of a second he 

 debated what to do and then turned 

 slowly away. Now was the moment. 

 There would have been no miss this 



