76 



Bear-Hunting in the South. 



THE DEATH. 



the earth. Major Duncan rushed to the rescue of the dogs, who are 

 almost sure to get hurt if a bear is wounded ; but the dogs were so 

 thick the major could not shoot. I saw Bravo caught in Bruin's 

 arms, and saw the major push a couple of dogs aside and fire, but he 

 only succeeded in knocking the brute down and releasing the old 

 dog. At the same moment, a stroke of Bruin's paw sent the major's 

 gun spinning through the air. The bear then rushed away into the 

 canebrake. Around and around, within the space of a few hundred 

 yards, the battle raged fiercely. The hunters were all scattered 

 through the canebrake, when the bear chanced to head directly for 

 Rogers, who fired and, as the bear charged, took to his heels, and but 

 for the courage of the dogs would have been caught. 



At the report of the gun, the maddened pack covered the game 

 again, and he had to stop to shake them off. Rearing on his hind 

 feet, he would strike down with his fore paws, his long, sharp claws 

 making the "fur fly" wherever they struck. The bear generally 

 strikes downward, as he is pigeon-toed, and from the conformation of 

 his fore-arm cannot well strike laterally when rampant. 



Rogers had gained on the bear by the dogs' renewed attack, but 

 as soon as Bruin had shaken them off, he again pursued his human 



