JUST IN TIME. 191 



empty single rifle for the double, another bullet speeds after 

 a grand fellow, as he appears traversing a small opening 

 between the bushes. This time a decided wince follows 

 the shot in addition to the shake of the tail ; but he moves 

 steadily upward with the rest, until they file slowly over a 

 bare bit of ground, all of them now in view, but almost out 

 of range. In despair I give them a parting salute with the 

 remaining barrel before they become hidden, one by one, 

 from our sight. 



A feeling of helpless disappointment seems to pervade us 

 all as we sit mutely there gazing up to where the animals 

 have disappeared. So disgusted am I with my performance 

 that I hardly care to reload the guns. At length Gamoo 

 breaks the silence by expressing a decided opinion that, from 

 the fact of their " wagging their tails," as he put it, on re- 

 ceiving the shots, one buck is hit, if not both. Whilst he 

 is speaking, a clattering noise is suddenly heard far up in 

 the direction the beasts have taken, and to our great joy we 

 soon see it is caused by one of them coming toppling and 

 rolling down until it lodges among the bushes below. After 

 intently listening for some time, in hopes of another follow- 

 ing suit, we jump up in great glee, and proceed to examine 

 our prize. 



I certainly ought to have been satisfied with my success 

 in securing such a magnificent trophy, for the horns were 

 almost a yard in length, measured straight without the twist, 

 and were nearly a foot in girth at the base ; but there is 

 invariably one bitter drop in one's cup of happiness. We 

 now discovered that my first two shots, both of which turned 

 out to be deadly, had unluckily been at the same animal, 

 .which I had mistaken for a different one when I fired the 

 second time as he moved up with the others among the 

 birch bushes. We sighted a black bear in the distance as 

 we were descending to our shelter. It was much too late 

 to go after him ; and what cared I for a bear then, com- 

 pared with the noble animal I had just shot ! 



