A BEAR IN THE CA]MP. 49 



ing to his feet he aimed a blow at the hear's head, that, 

 had it taken effect, would have cloven him in two, but a 

 scarcely perceptible motion of the same black paw sent 

 the axe flying away among the canes, while the Doctor, 

 from the j)aiTying of the blow, came over on his face, 

 and the bear, with a growl and crash, rushed off again 

 into the canes, followed by the whole yelling pack. 



The Doctor, gathering himself together, picked up his 

 axe, and listened with me to the lessening crash of the 

 chase as it turned down the river, cry of dog, and crackle 

 of brush, and now and then the whoop of the negroes, 

 who had apparently come up with the chase. At length 

 another pause, and then the peculiar notes of the hounds, 

 and the calls of the negroes, told us the bear was again 

 at bay, and, having recovered our breath, we started to 

 overtake it. 



As we came in view of the spot selected by Bruin for 

 his fight, we saw all the dogs gathered about the base 

 of a tree, the elder ones squatted on their haunches, and 

 the younger ones jumping up and snapping their teeth 

 at the bear, who was comfortably seated on a huge limb, 

 balancing himself with the skill of a dancer and the bur- 

 lesque gravity of a comedian. The most urbane simpli- 

 city marked his countenance ; he seemed of a character 

 that would not have harmed a child, and if I had not seen 

 him a few minutes before boxing the dogs with such vin- 

 dictive vigor, I would have been willing to have climbed 

 the tree, and put my arms around his neck. He looked 

 down at us condescendingly, now and then winking his 



3 



