THE BLACK BEAR. 247 



These beasts of prey, attracted by the smell of dead 

 meat, arrived from all sides, and threw themselves 

 ravenously upon the carcase of the bear. I was 

 then rejoiced tliat 1 had taken the precaution of 

 cutting off a supply of the meat and placing it out 

 of the reach of the beasts of prey by suspending it 

 from the branches of the oak. I need hardly say 

 that the presence of the coyotes all night took away 

 my desire for slumber, not only by their frightful 

 howling, but from the fear of falling among them 

 when asleep. 



Day broke at last, and I could descend from the 

 tree and eat a bear steak, broiled over a fire which 

 I found means to light. I then quitted the valley 

 where I had spent so uncomfortable a night, and 

 regained the prairie which I had traversed the day 

 before. The space before me was immense, and I 

 could see no traces of any living being. I could 

 recognise the tree where our little friend had had 

 his battle with the bear, and there was the skeleton 

 of the other bear which Captain Sharpe had killed. 

 The bones had been picked clean by the coyotes 

 during the night. The little man's spear was sticking 

 between the ribs of the bear, for he had thrust it in 

 so deeply that he had been unable to draw it out 

 again. I climbed up to the top of a tree and looked 

 carefully around, but there was nothing but bound- 

 less solitude and the silent desert. For a moment, 

 it appeared to me as if I were the only creature in 



