BEAR SHOOTING. 65 



ness on the other side, and it seemed absurd to swim 

 across for nothing so I settled on quitting Texas, and 

 returning to the United States. If I had a friend with 

 me I could have gone on to the shores of the Pacific, but 

 I had no mind to do it alone. When I had finished my 

 repast, I got up and made my way in an E. S. E. 

 direction. 



As the rain had left off, I made up to-night for the 

 wakefulness of the last ; when I awoke, the fire had 

 burnt out, and the sun was shining through the bursting 

 buds of the trees. I had a good wash in a neighboring 

 spring, and felt like a giant refreshed. 



After taking my frugal breakfast, the remains of yes- 

 terday's me^al, I drew more towards the east, in order 

 the sooner to fall in with human beings, to eat bread, 

 and taste salt. I had occasionally used gunpowder in- 

 stead of salt, but my store of powder was not sufficient 

 for such a luxury, and it was better to be without salt 

 than without powder. 



Gun on shoulder, I trudged slowly and surely on, over 

 hill and dale, through prairies and forest streams, to- 

 wards the sun-rising, taking sharp notice of all around. 

 While thus proceeding, wrapped in my thoughts sud- 

 denly ^omething rustled in a bush in front of me, and.a 

 bear started out and took to flight. My ball was soon 

 in his interior ; on being hit, he stopped and looked 

 round at me in a fury. Expecting nothing less than an 

 attack, I quietly cocked the other barrel ; but his inten- 

 tions of attacking me, seemed to pass off, and he crept 

 into a thicket instead. I quickly loaded with ball, and 

 followed him ; as I approached, he retreated slowly, pro- 



