AN INTRUDER. 129 



its report a gallant hero fell to rise no more, while 

 his now inanimate remains were gored without any 

 power of resistance by his late antagonist. My ram- 

 rod had, however, just sent a fresh bullet home, and 

 I had a good prospect of killing the remaining moose, 

 when he winded me, threw his wide-spreading ant- 

 lers on his back, took a fresh sniff of the tainted air, 

 and broke into a trot so rapid that ere my chilled 

 fingers could place a cap on the nipple, the quarry- 

 had disappeared into the neighbouring timber. Se- 

 curing the tit-bits of the animal I had killed, I 

 returned to camp to bring a yoke of cattle and sled 

 to transport the result of my morning's labour home. 

 I might have been gone a couple of hours possibly 

 more, when on my return I found one of the largest, 

 roughest, and wickedest-looking bears I had ever set 

 eyes on, coolly licking the shot-hole, and other por- 

 tions of the carcass of my game, wherever blood 

 flowed from it. So suddenly did I come upon the 

 intruder, that both the steers and myself were within 

 twenty yards before we saw him. The former were 

 so terrified when Bruin turned up his thin lips and 

 exhibited his white tusks, plainly indicating that he 

 intended disputing possession, that both wheeled to 

 the right-about and bolted along the back tract with 

 a velocity that one could scarcely have given them 

 credit for when yoked, and dragging a sleigh at their 

 heels. I was terribly riled, and my dander was fairly 

 up. The departure of the steers helped to make me 

 more savage, and consequently more determined ; so 



K 



