126 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



bushes, when the Doctor, at the suggestion, fired into the thicket. 

 At the report of his gun, out rushed the animal, stung, probably, 

 by the shot. So quick was his charge, that Lem did not have 

 time to get out of the way, and was run over by the brute, as, 

 dashing right through the midst of us, he hied away for the woods 

 from which we had just come. There were too many crowded 

 around, when he first came forth, to make it at all safe to shoot, 

 and the moment he gained a little distance, his round stern pre- 

 sented a target as little vulnerable as the rump of a rhinoceros, 

 as he ran with a lumbering gait, but with great speed, for his old 

 haunts. But the hounds were soon after him, and as they came 

 up they ran alongside, snapping at him without stopping him; 

 then the smaller dogs came to their assistance, and seizing him 

 behind, forced him to bay, which he did by standing on his hind 

 legs, and making sweeps with his front paws at his pursuers. It 

 was an amusing sight to see the dogs run, but still more so to see 

 the negroes madly excited about the danger of their favourite 

 curs, and yet cheering them on with cries, and grotesque denuncia- 

 tions and warnings. 



 Now for it ! Whose shot is it ?" 



" Let the Doctor try." 



" I ain't loaded ; wait a minute." 



" Ho ! ho ! that 's a good one ! Jackson, shoot" 



Without a word of parley, Jackson fired, and struck the mark, 

 as we could see, for the animal flinched, and attempted to run, but 

 there were too many dogs, and they brought him to bay again 

 after running a dozen yards. I fired, and so did Mike, both 

 together. The huge brute turned the way we stood, his eye 

 gleamed a fierce glance of revenge, his jaw fell open, showing his 

 long rows of white teeth, and then he sunk down a lifeless lump 

 amid the ring of dogs. 



" That air is rael murder ! " said Mike. 



As the heat of the chase subsided in my veins, I felt as if 

 Mike's remark was true. 



" Four hunters, twelve men, and forty dogs, against one bear ! " 

 called out Lou Jackson, who had been a spectator of the chase 

 from her boat. 



