276 FllANK FOKKSTEIl S FIELD SPORTS. 



forward, on his liack, along the horizontal tnnnel, and to shoot 

 at the eyes of the fierce monster, which would be clearly visi- 

 ble in the dark den by the reflection of the torches ; trusting to 

 the alertness of his comrades from without, who were instructed, 

 instantly on hearing the report of his musket-shot, to haul him 

 out hand over hand. This mode decided on, it needed no 

 long space to put it into execution. Two narrow laths of pine 

 wond were procured, and. half a dozen augur holes drilled into 

 each — as many candles were inserted into these temporary can- 

 delabra, and duly lighted. The rope was next made fast about 

 his chest — his musket carefully loaded with two good ounce 

 bullets, well wadded in greased buckskin — his butcher-knife 

 disposed in readiness to meet his grasp — and in he went, with- 

 out one shade of fear or doubt on his bold, sun-burnt visage. 

 As he descended, I confess that my heart fairly sank, and a 

 faint sickness came across me, when I thought of the dread risk 

 he ran in courting the encounter of so fell a foe, wounded and 

 furious, in that small narrow hole, where valor, nor activity, nor 

 the hio-h heart of manhood, could be expected to avail anything 

 against the close hug of the shaggy monster. 



" Tom's ruddy face grew pale, and his huge body quivered 

 with emotion, as, bidding him ' God speed,' he griped his bro- 

 ther's fist, gave him the trusty piece which his own hand had 

 loaded, and saw him gradually disappear, thrusting the lights 

 before him with his feet, and holding the long queen's arm 

 cocked and ready in a hand that trembled not — the onhj hand 

 that trembled not of all our party ! Inch by inch his stout frame 

 vanished into the narrow fissure ; and now his head disappeared, 

 and still he drew the yielding rope along ! Now he has stop- 

 ped, there is no strain upon the cord ! — there is a pause ! — a 

 long and fearful pause ! The men without stood by to haul, 

 their arms stretched forward to their full extent, their sinewy 

 frames bent to the task, and their mugh lineaments expressive 

 of strange agitalion ! Tom, and myself, and some half dozen 

 others, stood on the watch with ready rifles, lest, wounded and 

 infuriate, the brute should follow hard on the invader of its pe - 



