DEATH OF THE BEAR. 147 



bear found it so ultimately, for he again advanced 

 towards me. When scarcely eight yards divided us, a 

 second shout brought him again to a halt, and, as he 

 sat up, displaying his teeth symptoms that too truly 

 said, "I will teach you a lesson" I let him have the 

 contents of the right barrel, aimed for the nose, well 

 knowing the shortness of range would throw the pro- 

 jectiles up. And so it did. At so short a distance the 

 concussion was irresistible ; both eyes were destroyed, 

 the forehead up to the apex of the crown fearfully cut 

 up, and the poor bear rolled over, clawing the injured 

 parts in life's last agony. Without hesitation I delivered 

 the coup de grace by discharging the second barrel 

 at the butt of Bruin's ear, thus surely putting a 

 finishing touch to his earthly career. This bear 

 weighed about two hundred and twenty pounds, and 

 was, in the vicinity where killed, deemed a very large 

 one. 



When in the State of Maine I was called from my 

 writing by the landlord of the small roadside hotel at 

 which I was residing. He informed me that a bear 

 had entered the clearing,* evidently with the intention 

 of attacking his drove of sheep. Seizing my unloaded 

 gun, and hastily charging both barrels with bullets, I 

 rushed down to join him, in the state of deshabille I 

 had been sitting. From an eminence a few yards from 

 the house we took a survey ; no bear could be seen ; 

 but the timid sheep were huddled in a fence corner, 

 evidently having suffered no ordinary fright. 



With anxious gaze we scanned the enclosure ; several 

 times a blackened, charred stump, the memento of 



* Where the forest has been cut away for cultivation. 



L 2 



