308 IS IT COME 1 



emotions, moreover, had I not experienced ! The air 

 was fresh, and this delicious freshness, after a scorching 

 day, seemed to woo me to repose. A profound silence 

 reigned around me, and I had great need of continual 

 efforts to keep my eyelids open. 



" From time to time I felt my head sink ; then I raised 

 myself upright with a shudder of terror at the idea that 

 the bear, perhaps, was making ready for his spring. It 

 was something horrible ! Even now I cannot bear to 

 think of the horrors of that night. I was like one con- 

 demned to death, who, pursued by a frightful nightmare, 

 wakes with a start to remember that he will be executed 

 on the following morning. I do not think it possible 

 that I could have much longer supported this awful 

 pressure ; it was too much for human strength." 



The merchant ceased to speak for a few minutes; he 

 wore the melancholy and downcast air of a man tormented 

 by painful recollections. But he soon recovered himself, 

 and went on with his narrative : 



" Two or three hours after the beginning of night, 

 when both earth and sky were enveloped in shadow, I 

 heard different animals come down to the watering-place. 

 Some passed close by me, but I could not see them. The 

 Grisly, who saw them perfectly, contented himself with 

 slightly moving his head when they came near him ; and 

 I soon abandoned the hope that he would take to their 

 pursuit. 



" Suddenly, however, he raised his head, looked at me 

 and began to roar. 



"'My last moment is come ! God help me !' I exclaimed. 



