AT THE OUTSET. 6 



giinne, and the flint and priming thereof. I could not 

 readily keep to him in the midst of the bushes, and la- 

 bored much to force my way where he moved silently. 

 But it rejoiced me to know we had but a short distance 

 to go, for suddenly he turned about and pointed to a 

 great tree. It was the greatest of all trees that I have 

 seen. I confess to being puzzled to know what Oconio 

 was to do, that a bear should come from the tree and 

 be shotten. I ventured a question, but it was only an- 

 swered by an impatient 'See,' so I remained standing, 

 eager to know, yet doubtful of my safety should there 

 be even a small bear in the great tree. Oconio directly 

 gathered a bundle of sticks and of crisp leaves, and the 

 store thereof he placed at the foot of the tree, where I 

 saw was a hole that even he could have entered. With 

 his tinder and flint in a moment he added fire to 

 the leaves, and with a great roaring the smoke rushed 

 through the trunk of that tree. This was answered by 

 a louder murmur, which I took to be the voice of the 

 enraged bear, and Oconio stood bravely with his gunne 

 should it appear. Account it not against me that I de- 

 sired to flee, and I should have turned had I known 

 just where to seek safety ; and then came a greater ter- 

 ror as the enraged bear growled with fiercer anger. I 

 turned, and Oconio exclaimed ' Ugh !' as I did so. The 

 bear was upon us — not as one creature, but as thou- 

 sands; for we had driven from the tree a hiving of 

 bees. I turned so quickly that I fell, and the maddened 

 bees were quickly covering me, as I thought ; but I 

 regained my feet, and was soon fleeing from their tor- 

 ment. Whether Oconio did lead or follow I knew not, 



