184 CANADIAN WILDS. 



I looked around for a suitable tree to dodge be- 

 hind, but none was near. My left barrel was 

 yet loaded and I realized my very life depended 

 on rny coolness and accurate shooting. 



It takes considerable more time to write this 

 down than the event itself took. I planted myself 

 firmly on my snowshoes and waited the proper 

 moment. All fear had passed and I fully real- 

 ized it was death to me if I missed my shot. 

 On he came his great eyes blazing green in his 

 anger and the coarse hairs on his neck and 

 shoulders standing up like quills. In a case of 

 strong tension on the nerve like myself at that 

 time moments appear hours. He was in the act 

 of making his last spring before reaching me 

 when I took a snap sight along the barrel and 

 fired fair in the forehead. I had just time to 

 step to one side when he fell dead right in my 

 old tracks. Death had been so instantaneous 

 that he was so to speak "killed on the fly." We 

 skinned and cut up the meat and were back at 

 the post before the midday thaw set in. It was 

 only that night when I looked at the adventure 

 from all points of view that I fully saw the great 

 danger I had run. 



