28 NARROW ESCAPE. 



natural history, I now never killed any animal; but 

 this night my objection to useless slaughter almost 

 cost me my life. 



Before going to sleep I fastened up the old mare 

 with more than usual care. To the mule I always 

 granted perfect freedom, as he would not leave his 

 companion, and, further, performed most thoroughly 

 the duties of watch-dog. The hooting of several owls 

 told me that rain might be expected, so I piled 

 on more than the ordinary amount of fuel, moved 

 off further from the fire to obtain better shelter, and, 

 curling up like a dormouse, soon fell into a sleep, 

 in which I had many strange dreams. How long 

 I had been wandering in imagination far from where 

 I lay I know not, when a snort from the mule, 

 and the violent struggling of the mare, awoke me. 

 Without waiting to wipe the cobwebs from my eyes, 

 I jumped to my feet and seized my gun. For some 

 moments I could not distinguish anything more than 

 a few feet from me, for the night was intensely 

 dark, and the glare from the fire enshrouded the 

 distance in impenetrable obscurity. The fact that 

 the mare still struggled violently, and that the 

 mule, strange to say, had bolted, seemed ominous 

 of trouble. As an Indian would not have alarmed 

 the horses so much, I felt convinced that it was a 

 bear, which, although as yet I could not see him, 

 I had no doubt was close at hand. Prepared to act 

 promptly if called upon to defend my faithful com- 

 panions, I looked around on all sides, and at length 



