ADVENTURE WITH A GRIZZLY BEAR. 39 



a moment's pause, and a fierce glare upward from his blood- 

 shot eyes, he clasped the trunk ; but I saw his endeavors to 

 to climb were crippled by the shoulder. However, by the 

 aid of his jaws, he just succeeded in reaching the first branch 

 with his sound arm, and was working convulsively to bring up 

 the body, when, with a well-directed blow from my cutlass, 1 

 completely severed the tendons of his foot, and he instantly 

 fell with a dreadful souse and horrific growl, the blood spout- 

 ing up as if impelled from a jet ; he rose again somewhat 

 tardily, and limping round the tree with up-turned eyes, kept 

 tearing off the bark with his tusks. However, watching my 

 opportunity, and leaning downward, I sent a ball from my 

 revolver with such good effect immediately behind the head, 

 that he dropped ; and my nerves being now rather more 

 composed, I leisurely distributed the remaining five balls in 

 the most vulnerable parts of his carcass. 



By this time I saw the muscular system totally relaxed, so 

 I descended with confidence, and found him quite dead, and 

 myself not a little enervated with the excitement and the 

 effects of my wound, which bled profusely from the temple ; 

 so much so, that I thought an artery was ruptured. I bound 

 up my head as well as I could, loaded my revolver anew, and 

 returned for my rifle ; but as evening was approaching, and 

 my mule gone, I had little time to survey the dimensions of 

 my fallen foe, and no means of packing much of the flesh. 

 I therefore hacked off a few steaks from his thigh, and hew- 

 ing off one of his hind feet as a sure trophy of victory, I set 

 out towards the trading-post, which I reached about mid- 

 night, my friend and my truant mule being there before me, 

 but no horses. 



I exhibited the foot of my fallen foe in great triumph, and 

 described the conflict with due emphasis and effect to the 

 company, who arose to listen ; after which I made a transfer 

 of the flesh to the traders, on condition that there was not to 

 be any charge for the hotel or the use of the mule. There 



