SUBPBISED BY A BEAB. 163 



but a short distance off, I heard an animal grunt ; the spot 

 whence the sound issued was a large clump of whortle- 

 berries, where some fallen timber lay. Not being quite 

 certain that my ears had not deceived me, I waited, when 

 the noise was repeated. By this time my line was free, 

 and my juvenile companion was descending, when I asked 

 him to listen to the noise, for I felt convinced that it 

 emanated from no other than a bear feeding, enjoying his 

 favourite bonne louche, the blue berries. Young America 

 listened; Bruin gave another grunt of evident satisfaction, 

 when the former exclaiming " bear ! " slid down the tree 

 with such agility as would have put in shade the majority 

 of monkeys. As soon as he reached the ground, off he 

 started down stream, but the funniest part of all was 

 that my guide, in the precipitancy of his movements, must 

 have tripped over the hummocks at least half-a-dozen 

 times in a dozen strides. When we had got thirty or forty 

 yards off, for I followed, though scarcely as rapidly, my 

 amour propre asserted itself, and I halted ; not so my 

 companion ; soon he disappeared through the labyrinth 

 of shrubs, and I remained alone. To my relief I found 

 no bear was in pursuit, so, placing my rod against a 

 stalwart hemlock, I ascended its branches to take a survey 

 of the situation ; for a long time I could not discover 

 Bruin, but at length detected a large mass of black fur, 

 accompanied by two smaller ones, busily employed feeding. 

 They had quitted the wet ground and were on the edge of 

 an acclivity, where the mother was most industriously 

 drawing the broken fragments of shattered logs on one 

 side, while her hopeful progeny feasted upon the beetles 



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