162 Our North Land. 



their rifles were re-charging. We were to keep very close together, 

 so that if the bears came down upon us in retaliation, as we 

 expected they would do, the danger of shooting each other would be 

 minimized. 



On we went under the leadership of Mr. Bridge and the general- 

 ship of Mr. Fox, but not very far, when our guide turned in wild 

 excitement. 



"Halt! drop!" said he, acting upon his own words before they 

 were fully uttered. 



We dropped, so to speak, about as quick as we knew how ; and 

 I am right in saying that the act was performed so abruptly that 

 each man's heart slipped up into his mouth. 



"Where are they ?" whispered three voices simultaneously. 



" Eaise your head, and gaze over there," said Mr. Bridge, his eyes 

 distended with emotion. 



We obeyed his direction, and beheld a sight that extracted from 

 our breasts, in less than an instant, every trace of bravery or hero- 

 ism that we possessed, and we possessed a great deal. Indeed, we 

 had even contemplated a hand-to-hand combat, and provided our- 

 selves with belts and sheath-knives against such a necessity. We 

 had even counted the cost of an embrace from these creatures, and 

 had gone through a battle in our minds with them, in which we 

 received many a cruel blow and many a dangerous scratch, but 

 from which we had come, conquering heroes, with each of these five 

 monsters lifeless at our feet. There was not even room for fear in 

 any one of us, so full of brave determination to dare and do were 

 our noble breasts. Such a thing as want of courage had not been 

 mentioned, nor even thought about. 



Alas ! how quickly things change. Just over the rocks, on a 

 little piece of marsh below us, by the side of a lake no larger than 

 a potato patch, and near to the base of a range of cliffs raising their 

 sharp, precipitous ledges for more than a hundred feet above them, 

 were these ugly brutes. We looked at them and were terrified. 

 The shock was both mutual and simultaneous. 



Mr. Bridge had a lump in his throat, and therefore he didn't 

 speak ; Mr. Fox had a lump in his throat, and couldn't speak ; and 



