298 THRILLING ADVENTURES. 



fright and exertion, he sunk upon the ground and immediately 

 fainted ; but the application of snow immediately restored 

 him to consciousness. Preparing a litter from poles and 

 boughs, they conveyed him to the camp, washed and dressed 

 his wounds as well as circumstances would allow, and as soon 

 as possible, removed him to the settlement, where medical 

 aid was procured. After a protracted period of confinement, 

 he gradually recovered from his wounds, though still carrying 

 terrible scars, and sustaining irreparable injury. Such des- 

 perate encounters are, however, of rare occurrence, though 

 collisions less sanguinary are not unfrequent. 



" On one occasion, we tracked .one of those animals where 

 we had the day before been at work. From appearances, he 

 seemed to have something unusual attached to one of his fore 

 feet, which we judged to be a common steel strap. Return- 

 ing to the camp for the gun and a lunch, two men started in 

 pursuit. They followed him three days before overtaking 

 him. In one place on the route they measured a bound of 

 fifteen feet, which he made to take a rabbit, which he caught 

 and devoured, leaving only small portions of the hide and fur 

 of his victim. From the course travelled, it was evident that 

 he was aware of his pursuers, whom he unquestionably de- 

 sired to avoid. On the third day they came in sight of him 

 for the first time. No longer retreating before his pursuers, 

 he now turned upon them. Aware that they could have but 

 one shot, it being impossible to reload before he would be 

 upon them, they suffered him to approach very near, to make 

 their aim more certain. The forest echoed with the report 

 of the discharge ; the shot took effect, and a furious scuffle 

 followed. The snow flew, while the enraged and furious 

 growl and gnashing teeth mingled with the clattering trap, 

 and the echo of the powerful blows inflicted upon his head 

 with the shivered breech of the gun, under which he yielded 

 his life to his superior pursuers. 



" But there is no animal among us with whom encounters 



