154 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



drove of sheep. Seizing my unloaded gun, and hastily 

 charging both barrels with bullets, I rushed down to join 

 him, in the state of deshabille I i.ad been sitting. From 

 t an eminence a few yards from the house we took a survey ; 

 no bear could be seen ; but the timid sheep were huddled 

 in a fence corner, evidently having suffered no ordinary 

 fright. 



With anxious gaze we scanned the enclosure ; several 

 times a blackened, charred stump, the memento of some 

 giant monarch of the forest, was supposed to be the bear. 

 Again and again our mistake was found out, and a new 

 object was metamorphosed into Bruin. Ten minutes were 

 thus spent, the flock of sheep became, if possible, more 

 uneasy, when, with sudden energy, they made a simul- 

 taneous dash and crossed to the far side of the field ; still 

 no bear was visible, but that he was close at hand was 

 evident. Loss of time or prolonged suspense began to 

 make us careless; an advance into the field had even been 

 proposed, and was about to be executed, when the sheep 

 made another start, evidently intent on returning to the 

 position we found them in ; but as they passed a log out 

 rushed Bruin, and cut off the retreat of the hindermost 

 The poor victim made two or three feeble efforts to regain 

 his fellows, then turned and looked his enemy in the face, 

 and from that moment succumbed to fate, at the same time 

 retaining the use of his legs. Nor did Bruin rush up and 

 seize him. He only headed him off when inclined to turn 

 out of the proper direction, driving him all the time towards 

 the right side of the field, which edged on apiece of swamp. 

 Soon the fence was gained ; here the sheep's fortitude 



