294 



DEATH OF THE SHE-BEAR. 



waters. One of my comrades and myself discharged our 

 guns at him ; I was the more fortunate of the two ; my 

 ball struck the animal, who ceased all movement, and, by 

 the aid of the boat, was soon brought back to the shore. 



Meanwhile the third hunter had fired again into the 

 bottom of the cave. Nothing stirred. A profound silence 

 prevailed in the dark burrow. We resolved to open it 



" HE BEGAN TO FORAGE AMONG THE DECAYED TIMBER." 



up to the day by removing all the leaves and branches, 

 and lo ! in the lair lay dead the she-bear, whose skull had 

 been split open by our guide's hatchet. A single bullet 

 it was mine had terminated her days. We found it in 

 her body when stripping off the skin; and as my gun 

 was the only one of No. 16 calibre, my comrades were 

 compelled to own that I was king of the chase. The 

 guide alone divided with me the honours of victory. 



Here follows another story of hunting the grisly bear, 

 which was told to me by the hero of it : 



