THE INDIAN AND THE BEARS. 507 



if he should be so fortunate as to shoot the mother, he might 

 succeed in killing the cubs with the butt-end of his gun. He 

 therefore took aim, but the gun missed fire, although he had 

 put in a new flint that morning ; and before he could cock 

 again, the bear rushed upon him, and struck him such a blow 

 with one of her paws as to throw him the distance of several 

 yards. She then ran up, and seizing his head in her mouth, 

 stood still. He had the presence of mind to grasp her throat, 

 and with a sudden wrench rescued his head from her jaws ; 

 but while he was striving to choke her, one of the cubs struck 

 down his arm, when fortunately he remembered that he had 

 stuck a knife into his girdle behind. This he drew with the 

 quickness of thought ; but while in the act of striking the 

 bear with it, the same cub caught his hand in its mouth and 

 held it fast. He seized the knife, however, with his left hand, 

 and wounded the old bear in several places, until becoming 

 exasperated, she struck him down senseless. When he re- 

 covered from his swoon, he found himself alone, with his 

 bowels partly protruding, and both his temples lacerated. He 

 bound in his intestines with his belt, and, after staying the 

 bleeding of his many wounds, raised himself with difficulty, 

 cocked his gun and began to move slowly away. But he had 

 not proceeded ten steps, when the bears, which had been 

 watching him all the time, sprung upon him. 



His gun snapped once more, and he was entirely at their 

 mercy. The mother again knocked him down with her paw, 

 and seizing him, dragged him along, when, from loss of blood 

 and the concussion of the last blow, he fainted. On regaining 

 his sensibility, he bound up his wounds, and believing himself 

 injured beyond recovery, became inspired by revenge, and 

 resolved, to die in the attempt to destroy some of his savage 

 foes. With great difficulty he got on his feet, cleaned the 

 flint of his gun, drew his knife, and looking round, stood 

 resolved to conquer or perish. 



The bears rushed upon him. Unable to take aim, he drop- 



