SWALLOWING A GUN-BARREL. 297 



arid shot at by two brother sportsmen, whose balls, taking 

 effect alongside of each other, broke one of his fore-legs near 

 to the shoulder ; subsequently another man fired at him, but 

 missed. 



" Everything remained quiet for a long time. I then 

 proceeded to the spot where the bear had been last seen, and 

 followed his track with the object of again rousing him. 

 The cover was very close, and there was much snow in the 

 trees, so that I could not see more than a few feet ahead. 

 I advanced with great caution about forty feet into the Ring, 

 when from a very dense thicket, at not more than two feet 

 distance, Nalle* suddenly rushed upon me. His rage was 

 excessive, and growl most awful. Owing to his near proxi- 

 mity when he charged, I had no time to fire. 



" He first gave me a blow on the chest, which knocked me 

 backwards into the snow ; when seeing that his intention was 

 to seize my head, or the upper part of my body, I thrust the 

 barrel of my gun, whilst in the act of falling, into his open 

 mouth. This he pressed upon to such a degree, that it went 

 down his gullet nearly up to the lock, and the barrel was 

 in consequence much injured by his teeth. With my whole 

 force I now kicked the brute so hard on the head as to 

 cause him to disgorge the barrel, and to move off to a little 

 distance. 



" But it was only for a few moments, for he rushed 

 on me a second time with even more fury than before. 

 He laid hold of my unfortunate legs with his fangs, and 

 raising himself on his hind feet, thereby reversing my 

 natural position, he shook me with such vengeance, that my 

 person resembled the clapper of a church-bell when taking 

 * The nickname for a bear, as with us Reynard is for a fox. 



