BEAR HUNTING. 277 



rilous lair. Hark to that dull and stifled growl ! The watchers 

 pos'.tively shivered, and their teeth chattered with excitement. 

 There ! there ! that loud and bellowing roar, reverberated by 

 the ten thousand echoes of the confined cavern, till it might have 

 been taken for a burst of subterraneous thunder ! — that wild 

 and fearful howl — half roar of fury — half yell of mortal anguish ! 



With headlong violence they hauled upon the creaking 

 rope, and dragged, with terrible impetuosity, out of the fearful 

 cavern — his head striking the granite rocks, and his limbs fairly 

 clattering against the rude projections, yet still, with gallant 

 hardihood, retaining his good weapon — the sturdy woodman 

 was whirled out into the open air unwounded ; while the 

 fierce brute within rushed after him to the very cavern's mouth, 

 raving and roaring till the solid mountain seemed to shake and 

 quiver. 



" As soon as he had entered the small chamber, he had per- 

 ceived the glai-ing eyeballs of the monster ; had taken his aim 

 steadily between them, by the strong light of the flaring can- 

 dles ; and, as he said, had lodged his bullets fairly — a statement 

 which was verified by the long-drawn and painful moanings of 

 the beast within. After a while, these dread sounds died away, 

 and all was still as death. Then once again, undaunted by his 

 previous peril, the bold man — though, as he averred, he felt the 

 hot breath of the monster on his face, so nearly had it followed 

 him in his precipitate retreat — prepared to beard the savage in 

 his hold. Again he vanished from our sight ! — again his mus- 

 ket-shot roared like the voice of a volcano from the vitals of the 

 ix)ck ! — again, at mighty peril to his bones, he was dragged into 

 daylight ! — but this time, maddened with wrath and agony, 

 yelling with rage and pahi, streaming with gore, and white with 

 foam, which flew on every side, churned from its gnashing 

 tus' s, the Bear rushed after him. One mighty bound brought 

 it clear out of the deep chasm — the bruised trunk of the daring 

 hunter, and the confused group of men who had been stationed 

 at the rope, and who were now, between anxiety and terror, 

 floundering to and fro, hindering one another — lay within three 



