49 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



which was also torn. The men took away the trapper's 

 hunting- shirt, mocassins, and arms, dragged the bear 

 off his body, and left him, declaring, when they rejoined 

 their party, that they had completed his burial. 



Although the bear no longer figures in the story, I 

 must be allowed to relate the sequel, as a proof of what 

 human nature can endure without destruction. Months 

 elapsed, and some of the party of the above-mentioned 

 camp were on their way to a trading port with their 

 skins, when they saw a horseman approach them with 

 a face so scarred and disfigured that they could not 

 distinguish his features. 



The stranger accosted that one of the party who had 

 been Glass's companion, exclaiming in a hollow voice, 

 * Hurrah, Bill, my boy, you thought I was gone under 

 (killed) that time, did you ? but hand me over my horse 

 and gun, lad. I'm not dead yet.' Astonishment and 

 horror seized on the party, many of whom believed he 

 had been buried as well as dead. However, there could 

 be no mistake now ; and when they had sufficiently re- 

 covered from their surprise to listen to Glass's story, he 

 told them that he knew not how long he lay before he 

 recovered his senses ; but when he did. and was able to 

 take nourishment, lie was obliged to subsist on the flesh 

 of the bear. When he had strength to crawl, he tore 

 off as much of this as he could carry in his weak state, 

 and crept down to the river. He had suffered tortures 

 from cold, wounds, and hunger ; but he had reached the 

 fort, which was between eighty and ninety miles distant, 

 living the greater part of the way on roots and berries, 

 but there he had been taken care of and recovered. 



The claws of these bears make a cut like the stroke 

 of a chisel. They do not hug at first, but strike with 



